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High Speed Rail Authority

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Not to be confused with California High-Speed Rail Authority.
High Speed Rail Authority
Authority overview
Formed13 June 2023
Annual budget$59.487m AUD (2024-25)
Minister responsible
  • Catherine King, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
Authority executives
  • Tim Parker, CEO
  • Jill Rossouw, Chair
Parent departmentDepartment of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA)
Websitehttps://www.hsra.gov.au/

The High Speed Rail Authority (abbreviated as HSRA) is an Australian Government authority tasked with advising on, planning, developing and overseeing the construction and operation of an eventual high-speed rail network along Australia’s eastern seaboard.

The Authority was part of a commitment made in November 2021 by the then-opposition Labor Party (and a further announcement by its leader Anthony Albanese in January 2022) to build a high-speed rail line from Sydney to Newcastle, and an eventual network from Melbourne to Brisbane. Legislation to establish the Authority was introduced in September 2022 and gained assent in December 2022. The Authority commenced operations on 13 June 2023, and its CEO was appointed on 11 January 2024; the National Faster Rail Agency was abolished on the commencement of the Authority.

The Authority is currently developing a business case for the Sydney to Newcastle section of the high-speed rail network, with $500 million allocated by the Australian Government for planning and corridor works.[1] Tenders for the development of the business case were released in March 2024 and successful tenderers were announced in June 2024. These announcements were followed in August 2024 by the commencement of geotechnical investigations and a briefing for industry. As of October 2024, the business case for the Sydney to Newcastle section is expected to be provided to the Government by the end of 2024 along with a Product Definition Report[Note 1] for the entire network.[1][3]

Establishment and previous incarnations

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In a speech in Newcastle on 2 January 2022, then-Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese promised, if he was successful in the 2022 federal election, to build a high-speed rail line between Sydney and Newcastle. Part of this commitment included an allocation of $500 million for planning, land purchases and early works, along with establishing a dedicated authority to deliver an eventual line from Melbourne to Brisbane.[4] This mirrored a similar announcement by the Labor Party in November 2021,[5] and a similar promise made at the 2019 federal election.[6] The promise was criticised by members of the Liberal Party, with the then-Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher saying that Albanese "[needed] to come clean" regarding the cost and the party vice-president Teena McQueen saying the proposal was "not cost effective".[7][8] In contrast, The Australia Institute's Ebony Bennett said that it was a "smart announcement", adding that it would be popular "in areas [...] that stand to benefit a lot", including Newcastle.[9]

In September 2022, the then-recently elected Albanese government introduced legislation to establish a new national High Speed Rail Authority.[10][11] The Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the Authority would have an expert board and be tasked with overseeing "the construction and operation of a high-speed rail network along Australia's eastern seaboard" between Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane.[12] The authority would consult with state governments, give advice to the federal government, and develop standards to ensure an interoperable high-speed rail network across jurisdictions.[11] King announced the Authority would advance the government's first priority of providing high-speed rail between Sydney and Newcastle, to which the government committed $500 million to commence early works and secure corridors.[10] The Bill would abolish the National Faster Rail Agency and absorb its functions into the new authority.[12] The Bill was passed by both houses on 24 November 2022, and gained assent on 12 December 2022.[11]

The authority commenced operations on 13 June 2023, and the permanent CEO Tim Parker was appointed on 11 January 2024.[13][14]

National Faster Rail Agency

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In the 2019–20 Budget, the Australian Government established the National Faster Rail Agency (NFRA), its purpose being to support "economic growth and social opportunity through faster rail connections between major capital cities and growing regional centres", and was tasked with producing a number of business cases for higher-speed rail between capital cities and regional centres.[15][16] The Government allocated $40 million to assess five fast rail corridors:[15][17]

These assessments were in addition to the three business cases already underway, started under the Turnbull government, examining the following corridors:[17]

On the commencement of the operation of the Authority, the Agency ceased operations, and all employees were transferred to either the Authority or the DITRDCA.[18]

Board structure

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Per the High Speed Rail Authority Act 2022, the board of the Authority consists of the Chair and four other members, who are all appointed by - and report to - the Minister. The board is required to hold at least four meetings a year.[19]

As of 2024, the Board members are:[19]

  • Jill Rossouw, Chair
  • Gillian Brown, Member
  • Ian Hunt, Member
  • Dyan Perry OBE, Member
  • Neil Scales OBE, Member

Planning

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Sydney to Newcastle section

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First half of 2024

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On 30 January 2024, it was announced that $78.8 million of funding would be released for the development of a business case for the Sydney to Newcastle section of the high-speed rail network.[20][21] The tenders for the business case were released in March 2024 and were split into eight packages, including:[22]

  • Project controls (costs, schedule and risk)
  • Rail operations planning
  • First Nations participation and engagement, and
  • Commercial, delivery strategy and industry engagement.

In response to tender documents suggesting the consideration of a potential station at Broadmeadow (in contrast to the 2013 Phase 2 report, which suggested a station "located outside the current urban areas" of Newcastle), Tim Parker said that a line from Sydney to Broadmeadow was "achievable".[23][24]

The successful tenderers were announced on 13 June 2024, with the contracts being awarded to the following companies:[25][26]

Package Successful tenderer(s)
Project Control Services (Costs, Schedule and Risks) KPMG
Economics, Funding and Financing, Demand Modelling and Economic Development Strategy EY
Commercial, Delivery Strategy and Industry Engagement EY
Transport, Land Use and Property WSP
Technical Advisory, Environment and Sustainability, Community and Stakeholder Engagement WSP and Arcadis[Note 2]
High Speed Rail Network Operations Planning Arup[Note 3]
First Nations Participation and Engagement GHD
First Nations Culture and Heritage GHD

Second half of 2024

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Geotechnical investigations (starting with drilling of 27 boreholes along the Sydney to Newcastle corridor) commenced on 26 August 2024, ahead of an industry briefing the next day.[30][31] Starting in November 2024, six of these boreholes were drilled in Brisbane Water and the Hawkesbury River on the Central Coast using two drilling rigs.[32][33]

The Authority's geology advisor David Och said that the area along the proposed route had a diverse range of landscapes (from "spectacular sandstone plateaus" to "deeply dissected valleys"), fault zones and igneous dikes, along with varying types of vegetation. These features, Och said, were "the primary focus" of the investigations. Another focus of the geotechnical investigations was the Hawkesbury River, due to the need to determine the "sediment thickness, bedrock depth and quality" on the river. These investigations, according to Och, were aimed at enabling "future drilling to target any geotechnical risk" that was identified during the initial geotechnical investigations and to ensure "safety and efficiency in future construction".[34]

At an industry briefing for the Sydney to Newcastle section on 27 August 2024, Tim Parker gave a presentation suggesting the following:[35]

  • Up to 100 km (62 mi) of the line would be in tunnels, including beneath the Hawkesbury River and Brisbane Water,
  • The section between Gosford and Newcastle would largely be above-ground, and
  • The first construction contracts could be signed by 2027 if the federal government made an investment in 2025.

Parker also gave the following target travel times:[35]

Travel times from Newcastle
Destination Target travel time
Gosford 30 minutes
Central 1 hour
Parramatta[Note 4] 1 hour 10 minutes

Criticism

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At the time of the industry briefing in August 2024, the shadow transport minister Bridget McKenzie commented that while the Coalition would "[deliver] the business case" for the Sydney to Newcastle section, she also commented that details were yet to be provided on "where it's [sic] proposal is going, what it will cost or who will be paying for it".[36] When drilling commenced on the Central Coast in November 2024, McKenzie labelled it a "Utopia-like stunt" that suggested "‘work has started’ on a [sic] high-speed rail" and opined that unless details were provided on funding and delivery, high-speed rail would be "just another infrastructure fantasy project".[33]

In November 2024, former Liberal member for Bennelong John Alexander suggested building stations just outside of major towns and cities to allow for new housing development. Alexander opined that this would allow for significant value capture and therefore allow the government to recoup the cost of the project. He criticised the potential station locations for this reason, saying that a station in Gosford would not result in an "uplift" in property values due to it being built up and surrounded by water, while saying that a potential station in Broadmeadow was "equally flawed".[37]

Future sections

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Melbourne to Canberra section

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In October 2024, Tim Parker said that the Victorian end of the line should start at Southern Cross railway station (although he thought a link to Geelong "would make sense") and include a stop at Melbourne Airport. The line would extend on to Shepparton, Albury and would eventually connect with the line from Sydney. Parker also said that the line should both be built and start operating in small segments.[38]

Notes

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  1. ^ The report, per the Authority, would include advice on corridor preservation, stakeholder engagement and environmental planning for the entire network.[2]
  2. ^ With assistance from specialist partners (including Ineco)[27][28]
  3. ^ Later partnered with SYSTRA[29]
  4. ^ Prospective station.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Project | High Speed Rail Authority | High Speed Rail Authority". www.hsra.gov.au. Archived from the original on 2024-08-11. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
  2. ^ "High speed rail - High Speed Rail Authority". High Speed Rail Authority. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  3. ^ "High Speed Rail Authority Annual Report 2023-24" (PDF). High Speed Rail Authority. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  4. ^ Duke, Jennifer (2022-01-01). "Labor promises $500m for Sydney to Newcastle leg of future high-speed rail". The Age. Archived from the original on 2024-08-12. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  5. ^ "High Speed Rail Authority: Labor will kick start high speed rail" (PDF). Australian Labor Party. 15 November 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024 – via Parliament of Australia ParlInfo.
  6. ^ Lynch, Lydia (2019-03-21). "The duelling rail plans for south-east Queensland". The Age. Archived from the original on 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  7. ^ "Albanese's high-speed rail plan criticised for lacking detail". The Australian. 2 January 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2024. '[Albanese] needs to come clean with the Australian people, that's $200-$300 billion on any credible estimate,' Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher said.
  8. ^ "Labor's high-speed rail line 'is not going to happen'". The Australian. 3 January 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2024. Labor's proposed high-speed rail line between Sydney and Newcastle is never going to happen because it is "simply not cost effective," according to Liberal Party federal vice-president Teena McQueen.
  9. ^ "'Smart announcement': Labor pitches high-speed rail between Newcastle and Sydney's CBD". The Australian. 2 January 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2024. "I think it's a smart announcement that Labor sticks with this highspeed rail policy; it will be popular in areas like Newcastle that stand to benefit a lot."
  10. ^ a b "High-speed rail plans to be put on track". The West Australian. 2022-09-07. Archived from the original on 8 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
  11. ^ a b c Commonwealth Parliament House, Canberra (8 September 2022). "High Speed Rail Authority Bill 2022". www.aph.gov.au. Archived from the original on 8 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
  12. ^ a b Commonwealth Parliament House, Canberra (8 September 2022). "Catherine King, High Speed Rail Authority Bill 2022, Minister's Second Reading Speech". parlinfo.aph.gov.au. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
  13. ^ "Inaugural High Speed Rail Authority CEO announced - Ministers for the Department of Infrastructure". 11 January 2024. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  14. ^ King, Catherine (5 June 2023). "All aboard High Speed Rail Authority - Ministers for the Department of Infrastructure". Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Federal budget 2019: fast rail solution to traffic congestion". Australian Financial Review. 2019-04-02. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
  16. ^ "National Faster Rail Agency | National Faster Rail Agency (NFRA)". National Faster Rail Agency. Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  17. ^ a b "Projects | National Faster Rail Agency (NFRA)". www.nfra.gov.au. Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
  18. ^ "Budget October 2022-23 - National Faster Rail Agency - october_2022-23_infra_pbs_14_nfra.pdf" (PDF). Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  19. ^ a b "About Us - High Speed Rail Authority". High Speed Rail Authority. Archived from the original on 12 May 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  20. ^ "Funding released for Sydney to Newcastle high-speed rail business case - Ministers for the Department of Infrastructure". Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  21. ^ Ikonomou, Tess (2024-01-30). "Australia splashes $78m on high-speed rail case". Newcastle Herald. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  22. ^ "Tenders to develop business case for high-speed rail network". Newcastle Herald. 2024-03-17. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  23. ^ "High Speed Rail Authority boss says Broadmeadow-Central line 'achievable'". Newcastle Herald. 2024-03-31. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  24. ^ "High Speed Rail Authority pushes Broadmeadow station option". Newcastle Herald. 2024-03-27. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  25. ^ "'Very serious': firms named to shape high-speed rail business case". Newcastle Herald. 2024-06-13. Archived from the original on 2024-06-15. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  26. ^ "World-leading experts on board for high-speed rail". Ministers for the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts. Archived from the original on 2024-06-13. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  27. ^ "Post". Arcadis. Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  28. ^ Magariño, Javier (21 June 2024). "Ineco analizará la viabilidad de la primera línea de alta velocidad en Australia" [Ineco to analyse the feasibility of the first high-speed line in Australia] (in Spanish). Cinco Días. Archived from the original on 2024-08-04. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  29. ^ "Engineering firms Arup and SYSTRA team up for high speed rail". Newcastle Herald. 9 August 2024. Archived from the original on 10 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  30. ^ "High Speed Rail Authority drills under Newcastle as project builds steam". Newcastle Herald. 2024-08-26. Archived from the original on 27 August 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
  31. ^ Coade, Melissa (2024-08-26). "Drilling commences for Sydney to Newcastle high-speed rail business case". The Mandarin. Archived from the original on 28 August 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  32. ^ Brissenden, Neve (2024-11-05). "Drilling begins on east coast high-speed rail route". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
  33. ^ a b Visontay, Elias (2024-11-05). "Drilling for Sydney to Newcastle high-speed rail begins but Labor accused of uncosted 'fantasy project'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-11-06. Six holes in the ground at the end of the first term of the Albanese government is a Utopia-like stunt to suggest 'work has started' on a high-speed rail," [Bridget] McKenzie told Guardian Australia. "We are waiting for the Albanese government to provide any details at all on how they intend to fund a [sic] high-speed rail and then build it. Minister King can put out a press release with a stamp that says 'work has started' but until the prime minister comes clean on how he will deliver on his election promise, it is just another infrastructure fantasy project.
  34. ^ Kajastie, Nia (2024-09-11). "Ground investigations begin for Australia's first high speed rail line". Ground Engineering. Archived from the original on 2024-09-11. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  35. ^ a b "Newcastle-Sydney high-speed rail possible by 2037 as tunnel plan emerges". Newcastle Herald. 2024-08-27. Archived from the original on 28 August 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
  36. ^ "High-speed rail team must show how it can get passengers on board". Newcastle Herald. 2024-08-28. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-29. The Coalition is committed to delivering the high-speed rail business case," Senator [Bridget] McKenzie said. "To date, Labor is yet to provide any details on where it's [sic] proposal is going, what it will cost or who will be paying for it.
  37. ^ Visontay, Elias (2024-11-13). "Australia's high-speed rail dream is doomed if stations are built in wrong place, ex-MP says". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  38. ^ Hatch, Patrick (2024-10-05). "High Speed Rail boss pushes fast train link to include Melbourne Airport stop". The Age. Archived from the original on 2024-10-06. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
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