Corporate Plan 2020-21 to 2023-24 - National Faster Rail ...
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Corporate Plan 2020–21 to 2023–24
Introduction
The National Faster Rail Agency (NFRA) Corporate Plan 2020-21 to 2023-24 sets out the purpose
and priorities of the NFRA over the next four years.
Our mission is to better align future population growth with long-term infrastructure investment.
The Government has developed a 20-year plan for a Faster Rail Network to boost our major
regional centres and take pressure off our largest cities.
NFRA is implementing the 20-year plan by working closely with other Commonwealth
Departments and agencies as well as state and territory governments and private sector
proponents.
The Faster Rail Plan is centred on delivering faster passenger rail journey times along strategic
corridors that link our major capital cities and growing regional centres, which is reflected in our
purpose statement:
To enable more people to access employment, housing and social opportunities by
advising the Australian Government on faster rail opportunities between our capital
cities and regional centres, and administering funding to support the delivery of
agreed projects.
In the 12 months since NFRA was established, we have:
• Completed faster rail business cases for Sydney to Newcastle, Melbourne to Greater
Shepparton and Brisbane to the regions of Moreton Bay and the Sunshine Coast and
provided advice to the Government on funding opportunities and possible next steps
• Commenced faster rail business cases for Brisbane to the Gold Coast, Sydney to Bomaderry,
Sydney to Parkes with negotiations underway to commence business cases for Melbourne to
Albury-Wodonga and Melbourne to Traralgon
• Engaged with key stakeholders to understand key faster rail policy and infrastructure
issues and challenges and facilitated engagement between Commonwealth, State and
industry officials
• Worked collaboratively with the Infrastructure and Project Financing Agency, Infrastructure
Australia and Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and
Communications to provide a joint submission to the House of Representatives Standing
Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities Inquiry into options for financing faster rail
• Established and staffed up the agency and created an efficient governance and
corporate structure.
As the accountable authority for NFRA, I am pleased to present our Corporate Plan for the period
2020-21 to 2023-24, as required under paragraph 35(1)(b) of the Public Governance, Performance
and Accountability 2013 (PGPA Act).
Mr Barry Broe
Chief Executive Officer
National Faster Rail Agency
9 July 2020
Corporate Plan 1
Our Purpose
NFRA remains committed to advising the Australian Government on faster rail opportunities
between our capital cities and regional centres to enable more people to access employment,
housing and social opportunities. It will also administer funding to support the delivery of agreed
projects.
We will achieve our purpose through:
Working closely with state and territory governments to deliver reduced travel
times and more reliable services for rail passengers on strategic corridors
between our capital cities and regional centres.
Positioning ourselves as a national expert and respected voice on faster rail, to
support the Australian Government in its national leadership role.
Building on and delivering the Australian Government’s 20-Year Faster Rail
Plan.
2 National Faster Rail Agency
Our Environment
Policy direction to rebalance the distribution of population growth
The Australian Government released the strategy ‘Planning for Australia’s Future Population’ on
20 March 2019. The strategy is focused on planning for Australia’s future population with faster
passenger rail links between capital cities and regional centres being highlighted as a key to
strengthening economic and social ties and connecting people to housing, jobs and services.
As the strategy notes, transport, particularly rail connectivity, will be an important factor in further
integrating regional and metropolitan economies and reducing population pressures in capital
cities. The NFRA is responsible for delivering the Australian Government’s Faster Rail Plan.
Urbanisation and population growth concentrated in cities
Today around 67 per cent of Australians live in capital cities, making Australia one of the most
urbanised nations in the world. Most Australians are concentrated in our three largest cities of
Sydney (21 per cent), Melbourne (20 per cent), Brisbane (10 per cent) and their surrounding regions
(12 per cent), where three quarters of Australia’s population growth has occurred over the last
five years. This population growth, concentrated in our capital cities is both a cause and effect
of strong economic and employment growth in the knowledge economy and high end services
jobs. However, this strong, concentrated population growth is contributing to pressures in capital
cities especially in relation to housing affordability and traffic congestion. Road congestion cost
the Australian economy $19 billion per year in 2016 and without action, this cost will continue to
increase.
Opportunities to improve education and employment outcomes in
regional Australia
While Australia consists of many diverse communities and regional economies, at an aggregate
level people in our capital cities tend to experience better education, employment and health
outcomes than people in regional areas. Through improving transport connections, faster rail
provides the potential for people in regional centres to access a wider range of education and
employment opportunities available in capital cities. This access will provide long term flow on
benefits to regional communities.
Transport sector contributions to carbon emissions
Through the Paris Climate Agreement, the Australian Government has committed to reducing
emissions by 26‑28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. The transport sector is a key contributor
to net emissions, with passenger vehicles the largest contributor within this sector. Improved rail
connections between regions and cities can reduce reliance on passenger vehicles by providing
commuters with lower emission transport alternatives.
Corporate Plan 3
Flexible work and communications technologies
Flexible work policies are a major trend globally and are used by Australian businesses to attract
and retain skilled workers. Fast, comfortable and reliable passenger rail, combined with mobile
communications technology has the potential to support the flexible nature of work and enable
people to be more productive whilst commuting.
Capacity constraints in the civil construction and rail sector labour
markets
Australia faces infrastructure sector skills constraints, which are contributing to increased
construction and operational costs. These constraints are particularly acute in the rail sector,
where demand for workers with key rail sector skills is expected to increase by 5.5 per cent from
2018 to 2023. Our advice to Government on implementation of the Faster Rail Plan will take into
consideration opportunities and constraints in the infrastructure construction market.
The impacts of COVID-19
The 2020 coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19, has caused unprecedented social and economic
global impacts that are expected to result in permanent changes to the way we work, live and
travel. The coronavirus pandemic has seen a dramatic short term reduction in the demand for
public transport in Australia’s major cities. In the longer term, greater acceptance of remote
working arrangements will have implications for passenger rail use.
A shift towards remote working arrangements would provide workers with the opportunity to
move outside of capital cities and into regional areas (with their affordable housing and lifestyle
amenity benefits) provided they are supported by fast and efficient transport links. A renewed focus
on local manufacturing could also provide opportunities for regional development which will
require infrastructure support.
4 National Faster Rail AgencyMeasuring Performance
To pursue NFRA’s purpose we will strive to achieve the following outcome:
Faster passenger rail services between major capital cities and targeted key
surrounding regional centres
Over the longer term, the NFRA’s success will be assessed against the achievement of this outcome
and in particular, reduced travel times and improved service reliability for rail passengers on
corridors selected for investment.
In the short to medium term, including the planning interval of the 2020-21 Corporate Plan
(2020-21 to 2023-24), the NFRA’s performance will be assessed against the extent to which our
advice supports the Australian Government’s 20-year Faster Rail Plan. The following activities will
contribute to achieving this.
Key activities 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24
Provide advice to the Government on faster rail
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
policy matters and investment opportunities
Engaging with states, territories and project
proponents to scope and develop potential faster ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
rail opportunities
Support the Minister to promote faster rail
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
opportunities
Develop a rolling Faster Rail Investment program ∞ ∞
Develop strategic business cases for selected
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
corridors
Manage funding for corridors selected for
∞ ∞
investment
Development of strategic business cases for
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
selected corridors
Development of detailed business cases for
∞ ∞ ∞
selected corridors
Management of funding for corridors selected for
∞
investment
Corporate Plan 5NFRA Performance Measure: Advice supports the Australian Government’s
20-Year Faster Rail Plan.
Targets Annual target 2020-21: Advice meets the following milestones and
expectations:
• Complete or substantially complete five of the eight faster rail
business cases
• Identify further opportunities and corridors for faster rail
investigations
• Provide advice to the Government arising from the business cases
on project options
• Provide advice to the Government that considers opportunities for
private sector funding and financing
• Ensure advice takes into account feedback from key stakeholders
Annual targets 2021-22 to 2023-24: Advice meets the milestones and
expectations outlined in the NFRA’s establishment documents.
Who benefits In the short term, the Australian people will benefit indirectly from
NFRA planning for the delivery of faster rail and improved connections
between regions and capital cities.
Over the medium to longer term, commuters, regional and urban
communities and states and territories will benefit from better
and more informed policy and investment decisions made by the
Government based on the NFRA’s advice.
Data sources • Quantitative assessment of business cases (including by
Infrastructure Australia and the infrastructure and Project Financing
Agency) and discussion papers (by key stakeholders)
• Briefings recorded in the NFRA’s document management system
that include advice relevant to our performance targets
• NFRA website
Measurement • The milestones and expectations that make up the NFRA’s
performance targets for 2020-21 will be assessed against whether
or not they were achieved. Evidence to support the claim of
achievement or explanation as to why a milestone or expectation
was not achieved will form the basis of the NFRA’s Annual
Performance Statement for 2020-21.
Other factors that Some elements of this measure are dependent on decisions from
could influence this the Australian Government and support from state and territory
measure governments.
6 National Faster Rail AgencyCapability
The NFRA has engaged a skilled and experienced team to provide expert advice and support to the
Australian Government on faster rail. Collectively, the team has expertise and experience in urban
and regional development, infrastructure delivery, project management, program administration,
policy development and implementation, financial and governance oversight and transport
planning.
NFRA is organised to deliver our core activities though three key business units:
Policy and Planning Business Case and Projects Corporate, Finance & People
Developing and maintaining Overseeing the development, Supporting the operation
the Faster Rail Plan, delivery and review of of the NFRA including
undertaking research and faster rail business cases developing and managing
analysis, and facilitating and and providing advice to high quality financial and
leading engagement with government on the merits governance outcomes,
stakeholders. of projects and investment business services, systems
decisions. This section also and advice to NFRA to enable
manages the Australian it to deliver its respective
Government’s delivery of responsibilities and activities.
faster rail infrastructure
projects.
Corporate Plan 7Collaboration
The NFRA works with a number of key stakeholders to undertake our key activities and to achieve
the purpose of the 20-year Faster Rail Plan.
We will continue to work across the Commonwealth Government to ensure our advice is well
rounded and focused on maximising national policy and infrastructure investment outcomes. We
will work with a number of departments and agencies including the Department of Infrastructure,
Transport, Regional Development and Communications, Prime Minister and Cabinet, the
Treasury (particularly the Centre for Population), the Infrastructure and Project Financing Agency,
Infrastructure Australia and other departments and agencies as necessary.
We will also continue to work closely with state and territory governments to progress faster
rail investment and policy outcomes as well as business cases and infrastructure projects. For
individual business cases, we will work closely with states and territories and other stakeholders
through our leadership of project steering committees and other engagement processes to
ensure we produce robust, balanced and evidence based advice to the Australian Government on
investment opportunities and risks and next steps. Through project steering committees, we will
also work with local governments and other stakeholders to ensure our advice is reflective of a
broad range of stakeholder views.
The NFRA will continue to enhance its capability and capacity over the period of this corporate
plan to support our purpose. We will do this by:
Investing in and strengthening critical Uphold NFRA’s culture and values
professional capabilities of NFRA through effective communication and
employees to align our workforce with engagement within NFRA and across the
our operating environment. Commonwealth.
Strengthening our partnerships by Continuing to focus on outcomes by
maintaining collaborative stakeholder delivering high quality advice on fast rail
engagement with states, territories and policy and opportunities.
project proponents.
Maintaining an efficient governance and Ensuring NFRA employees actively
corporate structure and continuously engage in the successful delivery of
improving what we do and how we do it. our purpose and are supported by an
inclusive and flexible workplace culture.
8 National Faster Rail AgencyRisk Oversight and Management
As a non-corporate Commonwealth entity, the NFRA manages risk in accordance with the
Commonwealth Risk Management Policy, as required under section 16 of the PGPA Act.
Our framework includes systems, policies, guidelines and processes that govern how the NFRA
identifies, manages and communicates risk and is regularly reviewed to ensure it reflects our
operating environment.
NFRA Risk Management Framework
DIRECTIVE MEASURING REPORTING PEOPLE
• Commonwealth • Audit Committee • Annual Report • Leadership and
Risk Management oversight • Annual management
Policy • Audit program Performance demonstrate
• NFRA Risk which aligns with Statement and discuss the
Management Risk Management importance of
• Quarterly
policies and Plan managing risk
performance
procedures, both appropriately
• Risk registers report
legislative and in a positive
• Business • Audit Committee and consistent
administrative
Continuity reporting manner
• Accountable Planning • Risk review • Positive risk
Authority
• Fraud and agenda item culture built
Instructions
Corruption at Executive into day to day
Control Planning meetings practices of all
• Work Health and staff
Safety • Supportive
• Risk Management environment for
Framework reporting and
monitoring and escalating risk
review issues
• Ongoing
education in
respect to risk
and compliance
• Lessons learned
sessions to assist
to with risk
management
Corporate Plan 9National Faster Rail Agency Corporate Plan: 2020–21 to 2023–24 National Faster Rail Agency 111 Alinga St Canberra ACT 2601 E info@nfra.gov.au W www.nfra.gov.au P GPO Box 594, Canberra ACT 2601
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