Department of Transport and Planning

Last updated

Department of Transport and Planning
Department of Transport (Victoria, 2019-).png
Logo prior to January 2023
Department overview
Formed1 January 2019 (2019-01-01)
Preceding department
Jurisdiction Victoria, Australia
Employees3,979 (June 2020)
Annual budget$9.1 billion (FY 19–20)
Ministers responsible
Department executive
  • Paul Younis, Secretary
Website vic.gov.au/department-transport-and-planning
Footnotes
[1]

The Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) is a government department in Victoria, Australia. Commencing operation on 1 January 2019 as the Department of Transport (DOT), the DOT was formed in machinery of government changes made by Premier Daniel Andrews after the re-election of his Labor government at the 2018 Victorian state election. The re-shuffle saw the "super-ministry" Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources abolished and its functions reassigned to the DOT and Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions.

Contents

The department is responsible for ongoing operation and coordination of the state's transport networks, as well as the delivery of new and upgraded transport infrastructure. It also absorbed most functions of VicRoads and Public Transport Victoria on 1 July 2019. [2] [3] On 1 January 2023, after the 2022 Victorian state election, the department absorbed the planning functions of Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and was renamed to its current name. [4] [5]

The DTP supports three ministers in the first Allan ministry, holding three ministerial portfolios: Minister for Ports and Freight and Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne, Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams, Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny. [6]

History

Background

Transport in Victoria has been managed by various government departments across different ministries. Following each state election, the Premier issues a Machinery of Government instrument, outlining how government responsibilities will be overseen by ministers and the organisation of the bureaucracy.

The first Victorian government agency with a unified approach to transport planning was the Ministry of Transport, formed in 1951 as the earliest precursor to the current DOT. Renamed as the 'Department of Transport' in 1996, the agency underwent numerous changes in organisational structure. [7] Transport responsibilities were merged under the Department of Infrastructure under the Kennett Government until the second incarnation of the Department of Transport was formed in 2008.

The department was replaced by Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure in April 2013, and then the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources in January 2015. Further changes were announced with the establishment of Transport for Victoria in June 2016 to provide a "new central transport agency to coordinate Victoria's growing transport system and plan for its future". [8]

Establishment

After the November 2018 re-election of the Andrews government, machinery of government changes divided the functions of the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources into two new departments. The Department of Transport absorbed all of the former department's transport functions. Jacinta Allan, who had been public transport minister in the previous structure, was promoted to a new role of Minister for Transport Infrastructure to lead the new department's focus on major road and rail projects. [9] [10]

The new department was formally established on 1 January 2019, with Paul Younis as acting Secretary. On 26 March, he was confirmed as a permanent appointment to the position. [11] As Secretary, Younis also held the position of acting Head, Transport for Victoria, an office established under section 64A of the Transport Integration Act 2010 . [3]

In the days following Younis' permanent appointment, the government announced a major restructure of its transport agencies, with statutory authorities VicRoads and Public Transport Victoria to be abolished as independent entities and incorporated into the Department of Transport. Government ministers claimed that the merger was a more modern approach to integrated transport planning; however, media reports and the state Opposition suggested that the changes were an attempt to reduce transparency and obscure cost overruns on major projects. The move received support from the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, but was opposed by the Australian Services Union, representing many VicRoads staff. [12] [13] [14] The Public Transport Users Association offered its cautious support for the changes, saying that although integration of planning functions was a positive, the merger risked creating an entrenched and inaccessible bureaucracy. [15]

The restructure took effect on 1 July 2019. [16] All functions of the PTV and VicRoads were transferred to the Department of Transport, with the exception of VicRoad's registration and licensing functions and some heavy vehicle functions. [2] [3]

Planning functions

After the Andrews government was re-elected at the 2022 Victorian state election, the planning functions of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning were merged into the DOT on 1 January 2023, and the department was renamed to the Department of Transport and Planning. [4] [5]

Ministers

As of October 2023, the DTP supports four ministers in the following portfolios:

NamePartyPortfolio
Danny Pearson Labor Minister for Transport and Infrastructure
Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop
Melissa Horne Labor Minister for Ports and Freight
Minister for Roads and Road Safety
Gabrielle Williams Labor Minister for Public Transport
Sonya Kilkenny Labor Minister for Planning

Functions

The DTP had responsibility for the following policy areas:

Agencies

Sector transport agencies

Public Transport Development Authority was also an agency of DOT until its abolition in July 2019. Road Safety Victoria was formed in August 2019. [17]

Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority

Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority
Authority overview
Formed2 April 2024 (2024-04-02)
Preceding agencies
  • Major Transport Infrastructure Authority
  • Victorian Health Building Authority
TypeAdministrative office
Jurisdiction Victoria, Australia
Employees2,030 (June 2020)
Minister responsible
Authority executive
  • Kevin Devlin, Director-General
Website bigbuild.vic.gov.au
Footnotes
[1]

The Major Transport Infrastructure Authority (MTIA) was established on 1 January 2019 as an administrative office of the DOT, replacing the former independent administrative offices governing various infrastructure projects. It is led by Director-General Kevin Devlin who is responsible to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Danny Pearson. [18] MTIA was declared a transport body under the Transport Integration Act 2010 in August 2019. [17] On 2 April 2024, the MTIA merged with Victorian Health Building Authority (VHBA) to form Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority (VIDA) and includes health infrastructure such as hospitals in its scope. [19] [20]

Project teams within the VIDA (and previously MITA) are: [17] [19]

Suburban Rail Loop Authority

Suburban Rail Loop Authority
Authority overview
Formed3 September 2019 (2019-09-03)
TypeAdministrative office
Jurisdiction Victoria, Australia
Employees352 (June 2022)
Minister responsible
Authority executive
  • Frankie Carroll, CEO
Website suburbanrailloop.vic.gov.au
Footnotes
[22]

The Suburban Rail Loop Authority was established in September 2019 as an administrative office of the DOT. [22] It coordinates and plans the delivery of Suburban Rail Loop. The authority became an independent statutory authority on 1 December 2021. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proposed Melbourne rail extensions</span> Extensions to the Melbourne rail network

Proposals for expansion of the Melbourne rail network are commonly presented by political parties, government agencies, industry organisations and public transport advocacy groups. The extensions proposed take a variety of forms: electrification of existing routes to incorporate them into the suburban rail system; reconstruction of former passenger rail lines along pre-existing easements; entirely new routes intended to serve new areas with heavy rail or provide alternative routes in congested areas; or track amplification along existing routes to provide segregation of services. Other proposals are for the construction of new or relocated stations on existing lines, to provide improved access to public transport services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Werribee line</span> Passenger rail service in metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

The Werribee line is a commuter railway line in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Operated by Metro Trains Melbourne, it is the city's ninth longest metropolitan railway line at 32.9 kilometres (20.4 mi). The line runs from Flinders Street station in central Melbourne to Werribee station in the south west, serving 17 stations via Footscray, Newport, and Altona. The line operates for approximately 19 hours a day with 24 hour service available on Friday and Saturday nights. During peak hour, headways of up to 5–20 minutes are operated with services every 20–30 minutes during off-peak hours. Trains on the Werribee line run with a two three-car formations of Comeng, Siemens Nexas, and X'Trapolis 100 trainsets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Railways in Melbourne</span> Railway network in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

The Melbourne rail network is a metropolitan suburban and freight rail system serving the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The metropolitan rail network is centred around the Melbourne central business district (CBD) and consists of 221 railway stations across 16 lines, which served a patronage of 99.5 million over the year 2021–2022. It is the core of the larger Victorian railway network, with regional links to both intrastate and interstate rail systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">V/Line</span> Australian railway company

V/Line is a statutory authority that operates regional passenger train and coach services in the Australian state of Victoria. It provides passenger train services on five commuter lines and eight long-distance routes from its major hub at Southern Cross railway station in Melbourne. It also provides bus services across Victoria and into New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia. In addition, V/Line is responsible for the maintenance of much of the Victorian freight and passenger rail network outside of the areas managed by Metro Trains Melbourne and the Australian Rail Track Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Melbourne</span> Overview of transport in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Transport in Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia, consists of several interlinking modes. Melbourne is a hub for intercity, intracity and regional travel. Road-based transport accounts for most trips across many parts of the city, facilitated by Australia's largest freeway network. Public transport, including the world's largest tram network, trains and buses, also forms a key part of the transport system. Other dominant modes include walking, cycling and commercial-passenger vehicle services such as taxis.

VicRoads is a government joint venture in the state of Victoria, Australia. In the state, it is responsible for driver licensing and vehicle registration. It is owned and operated through a joint venture between the Victorian government and a consortium made up of Aware Super, Australian Retirement Trust and Macquarie Asset Management.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VicTrack</span> Government owned company in Victoria, Australia

VicTrack, trading as the Victorian Rail Track Corporation, is a Victorian Government state-owned enterprise which owns all railway and tram lines, associated rail lands and other rail-related infrastructure in the state of Victoria, Australia, with the exception of the Emerald Tourist Railway Board's heritage Puffing Billy Railway.

Transport law is the area of law dealing with transport. The laws can apply very broadly at a transport system level or more narrowly to transport things or activities within that system such as vehicles, things and behaviours. Transport law is generally found in two main areas:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport Integration Act 2010</span>

The Transport Integration Act 2010 is a law enacted by the Parliament of the State of Victoria, Australia. The Act is the prime transport statute in Victoria, having replaced major parts of the Transport Act 1983, which was renamed as the Transport Act 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Department of Transport (Victoria, 2008–2013)</span> Former government agency of Victoria, Australia

The Department of Transport (DOT) was the government agency responsible for the coordination, integration and regulation of the transport system in the State of Victoria, Australia. The department generated planning, policy, and legislation for transport in Victoria. As a result, the department drove the integration of Victoria's transport land and water transport systems and the delivery of public transport, road and port services and associated activities across the State. The department's stated mission was "Building a safer, fairer and greener transport system for all Victorians to create a more prosperous and connected community."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Director of Public Transport</span> Head of an Australian government agency

The Director of Public Transport was the head of the Public Transport Division (PTD) of the Victorian Department of Transport. PTD was the government agency responsible for promoting, providing, coordinating and regulating public transport in the state of Victoria, Australia between August 1999 and June 2013. The Director of Public Transport was created as a statutory office supported by staff of the Department of Transport.

The Chief Investigator, Transport Safety is the independent Government agency responsible for investigation of safety-related trends and incidents in the rail, bus and marine industries in the State of Victoria, Australia.

Public Transport Victoria (PTV) is the brand name for public transport in the Australian state of Victoria. It was previously the trading name of the Public Transport Development Authority (PTDA), a now-defunct statutory authority in Victoria, responsible for providing, coordinating, and promoting public transport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Network Development Plan – Metropolitan Rail</span>

The Network Development Plan – Metropolitan Rail was a long-term development plan for the rail network of Melbourne, Australia. It was written by Public Transport Victoria (PTV) and released to the public on 27 March 2013 under the Napthine government and received minor updates in 2016.

Transport for Victoria is a statutory office of the Department of Transport and Planning that is responsible for the planning and coordination of all transport systems in Victoria, Australia.

The Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR) is a former department of the Government of Victoria. It was created on 1 January 2015 by the government of Premier Daniel Andrews when the number of government departments was reduced from 9 to 7, and assumed responsibility for ministerial portfolios previously spread across 5 departments. It was abolished at the end of 2018 and divided into two new departments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suburban Rail Loop</span> Orbital rapid transit line under construction in Melbourne, Australia

The Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) is a group of new rapid transit lines planned or under construction in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The project is divided into four distinct sections. The two main sections, SRL East and SRL North, would together form a single 60 km (37 mi) fully automated orbital metro line through the city's middle suburbs, with 13 stations between Cheltenham and Melbourne Airport connecting to eight existing Melbourne rail lines. SRL East is currently under construction and is planned to open in 2035.

References

  1. 1 2 Annual Report 2019-20 (PDF). Melbourne: Department of Transport. October 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Acts, regulations & policies". VicRoads. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 "Governance". Department of Transport. Archived from the original on 18 February 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Department update". Department of Transport and Planning. 1 January 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Order Establishing and Renaming Departments" (PDF). Victorian Government Gazette. 5 December 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  6. "New Cabinet To Keep Doing What Matters". Premier of Victoria. 5 December 2022.
  7. "Department of Transport (known as Ministry of Transport 1951 to 1992). (1951-1996)". Trove. National Library of Australia.
  8. "A Simpler, More Coordinated Transport System For Victoria" (Press release). Premier of Victoria. 27 June 2016. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  9. Donaldson, David (29 November 2018). "DEDJTR to split as new secretaries named in post-election shakeup". The Mandarin. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  10. Potter, Ben (29 November 2018). "Jacinta Allan is transport tsarina in Daniel Andrews' reshuffled cabinet". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  11. "Paul Younis confirmed as Transport secretary". The Mandarin. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  12. Carey, Adam (4 April 2019). "Big merger: VicRoads and PTV to become one mega-agency". The Age. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  13. "VicRoads and PTV to be rolled into Transport Department". The Mandarin. 3 April 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  14. "The end of VicRoads, PTV: Neil Mitchell's inside word on Victoria's transport merger". 3AW News. 4 April 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  15. "State concludes its re-centralisation of transport planning: but to what end?". Public Transport Users Association. 4 April 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  16. "Frequently Asked Questions". Victoria Department of Transport. Archived from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  17. 1 2 3 Annual Report 2018-19 (PDF). Department of Transport. September 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  18. "About". Victoria's Big Build. Major Transport Infrastructure Authority. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  19. 1 2 "About the Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority". Victoria's Big Build. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  20. "New body to deliver Victoria's critical infrastructure projects". Victoria's Big Build. 22 February 2024.
  21. "Jobs in doubt as major Victorian road agencies merge". The Canberra Times. 8 June 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  22. 1 2 3 "SRLA Annual Report 2021-22" (PDF). Suburban Rail Loop Authority. Retrieved 26 March 2023.