Graeme Steverson

Technical Director - Planning and Mobility | WSP

Graeme is one of the world’s leading event transport planning professionals. He has been involved in the planning and delivery of transport and event operations at six Olympics - Sydney 2000, Salt Lake City 2002, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Brisbane 2032, and three Commonwealth Games – Melbourne 2006, Gold Coast 2018 and Victoria 2026. He has worked on 14 stadiums and venues in Australia and New Zealand, been the international transport advisor on two Olympic bids and continues his role as the transport advisor for the Sydney Olympic Park Authority (held for the past 30 years) which has included developing the transport strategies for five of the precinct’s Master Plans since 1996 including the current Master Plan 2050. Graeme has also been the lead technical advisor to the NSW government for their Regional Transport Strategies for Future Transport 2056 (2018) and Future Transport 2061 (2022).

Sustainable event transport for regional cities and centres

In the context of the cancellation of the multi-city regional model for the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games, what is the future for regional cities and centres to achieve more sustainable transport outcomes? Regional cities across Australia have been growing with a steady stream of new residents since the COVID lockdowns and the pressures of housing affordability in capital cities. Year-on-year growth in many regional centres has been double their annual averages since 2020. Despite this population growth, many regional places remain car dominated, and lack the quality of urban realm experienced in our larger cities.

The lack of both capacity and connectivity in background public transport systems and active transport networks makes hosting regular national sporting and cultural events a challenge for event organisers and their host cities. How can our regional communities generate lasting economic benefits and tangible legacies from hosting such regular events?

New approaches to hosting events in regional cities and centres requires challenging the status quo when planning how to move people. This presentation will draw on lessons learned from stadiums, festivals and tourist locations in regional areas where low regular public transport accessibility or patronage prevail and present new opportunities to move people to and from venues in key regional cities such as Geelong and Newcastle.

New approaches to established event transport concepts such as Travel Demand Management, park and ride facilities, Last Mile walking routes, cycling and event shuttles will be presented. These solutions are focussed on improving travel choices for spectators, minimising costs for event organisers and venue operators, creating vibrancy within our regional communities and leveraging future regional transport strategies particularly for public and active transport. Positive event transport experiences provide the opportunity for regional cities and centres to increase the take-up of every day public transport services and active transport infrastructure to achieve environmental and economically sustainable outcomes for their communities.

Nikki Huddy

Town Planner | Planz

Nikki is based in Far North Queensland, is a passionate Regionalist and the Australian Town Planner of the Year (2020/21) which is an acknowledgment of her advocacy work across regional and remote Queensland.

Nikki is a champion for place-based solutions, and is highly regarded for her work with Local Governments and community groups, identifying opportunities and solutions that respond to local issues. Working closely with Regional communities provides opportunity to conceive and implement projects that have significant social benefit for relatively little capital outlay. Nikki’s is known for her passion and ability to see opportunities for great community outcomes. Her capacity to see and think strategically is the value she contributes to projects and organisations.

Nikki is a Churchill Fellow, Planning Institute Fellow, mentor and Adjunct Senior Lecturer at JCU. These roles demonstrate her commitment to connecting industry, research and community.

Nikki says that her best work is done in cross-disciplinary teams and over the last 5 years she has been recognised at the State and National level for her work including the National Community Wellbeing & Diversity Award for road safety programs with JUTE Theatre; Improving Planning Processes Award with Terrain NRM and FNQ Regional Organisation of Councils; Public Engagement & Community Planning Award with James Cook University and UN Habitat; and the inaugural Queensland Outstanding Female Planner.

How regional towns and cities can join the mobility revolution

Transport is the number 1 household expense in low income and regional communities, however provision of public transport is usually a priority for larger population centres. Removing mobility barriers is closely linked to removing barriers to employment and is a path to opportunity.

The rapid evolution in both micro-mobility and technology means it is now possible for regional and remote communities to adopt new modes of transport where nothing existed before.

This presentation brings together 12 weeks of travel, interviews and discussions with leaders in micro-mobility and universal mobility, about how innovations in mobility can be taken beyond cities to ensure regional communities also benefit.

This presentation will provide insights on the learnings of:

• Mobility policy.
• Achieving behaviour change in transport modes.
• Establishing accessible and equitable transport choices.
• Leveraging new mobility disruptions to create better communities.
• How to give people mobility as a right & bring those lessons to regional communities.

A lack of understanding about micro-mobility opportunities in regional and remote communities will hold back the uptake of new mobility in Australia and there is a high risk that a transition to sustainable transport might not happen outside of capital cities, without a focus on developing new mobility systems in regional and remote Australia too.

Michael Kahn

Associate | DesignInc Sydney

An architectural and urban designer with 10 years’ experience, Michael’s expertise is in design delivery of large-scale infrastructure projects. Michael’s strengths lie in facilitation of multi-disciplinary coordination and team organisation and management. He has a special interest in people-centred place design associated with catalytic public transport precincts.

Michael received his PhD for research exploring the role of architectural practice in shaping large-scale infrastructure projects. Through multi-year involvement on some of the largest public transport design projects in Australia—including the Sydney Metro and the new Western Sydney Airport—he is one of the foremost practitioner academics with extensive knowledge about the delivery of designs suited to the demands of the project type. He has been involved in the architectural and urban design delivery on a number of high-profile tenders and is presently leading the architectural and urban design team on the delivery of Western Harbour Tunnel in Sydney.
 

Transport Infrastructure as a Catalyst for Revitalisation in Regional Centres: Byron Bay Interchange on Bundjalung Country

From its opening in 1894, Byron Bay’s railway station—like those in regional centres across Australia—was the heart of the town. When rail service was withdrawn 110 years later, the station and adjacent railyards went from civic connector to public impediment, dividing the town in two. With the commitment by Transport for NSW to create a new regional transport interchange, came the opportunity to not only enhance transport connections, but to infuse new life into Byron Bay Town Centre.

Completed in 2021, the Byron Bay Interchange is an award-winning casebook study in adaptive reuse of redundant public infrastructure that aids the redevelopment potential of former rail land. The design leverages the heritage infrastructure on site, celebrates the culture of Bundjalung Country through art and material use and restores public connections through the site, bolstering walkability and cycling.

Local character, connections and accessibility were key drivers of the design. Early analysis of the context resulted in the bus interchange being relocated from the main street to the disused former railway steam water tower and sidings site. As well as reducing vehicle congestion on the main street, the relocation enlarged the public open space network in Byron Bay town centre, facilitating a more pedestrian-and-bicycle friendly environment. It provides a vibrant, legible connection for residents and visitors, and formally links the western residential edge to the town centre.

This presentation will demonstrate the successful planning, design and delivery of the Byron Bay transport interchange by the design team, highlighting the collaborative process with a broad range of stakeholders. The urban design, landscape and architectural strategies deployed will be explained to build an understanding of the strategies used at Byron Bay to support similar successful outcomes in regional centres across Australia.

Alison Lee

Director | Urbis

Alison is a leading expert in transport planning, creating better urban places, client outcomes and helping transport support the lives people want to lead. She’s had more than 20 years’ experience including senior roles at major organisations including Urbis, GHD, Booz & Company and City of Melbourne working on major projects across Australia and New Zealand. Alison is known for making transport planning exciting, simple and accessible. She uses research, data and best practice to provide impactful advice that clients can act on.

Alison is a subject matter expert and published author on the economics of great urban spaces and transport including the economic benefits of cycling and using streets for different purposes. She researches and commentate on large-scale travel behavior change projects and sustainable transport planning and reporting including new transport infrastructure and travel strategies for new developments and areas.
 

Changing Car Dependence in the Regions: Lessons from Wollongong and Geelong

Many regions across Australia have seen immense growth in recent years, which has been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. As regions grow and develop, incredible pressure is placed on infrastructure to support this growth with many regions outgrowing their transport infrastructure. Integrated transport strategies help to address the gaps and weaknesses in the transport network and are crucial to identifying what is needed to support the liveability of a region. Both the G21 Region (which include Geelong) and Wollongong will be featured in this presentation. These regional areas are both notable in their similarity of where an urban form has resulted in car-dependance as well as. Many new residents are attracted by the lifestyle options, the natural environment and liveability and with cost-of-living pressures the promise of a more affordable way of life. However, a lack of transport options and connectivity in the region impact on this liveability and action needs to be taken to develop a fit for purpose transport network in the context of lower densities and more dispersed urban areas.

This presentation presents work on the G21 Integrated Transport Strategy and the Wollongong Integrated Transport Strategy, which both aim to connect these regions with a safe, accessible and sustainable transport systems which can transition their populations away from car dependence . Our presentation will focus on the importance of integrated transport strategies for growing regions and discuss how the challenges faced by this region as well as the opportunities and actions required to ensure the G21 Region and Wollongong is equipped to grow now and into the future.