1. Summary of the Project, Product, Framework
In 2022, Transurban (with the support of its incident response and maintenance contractor, Ventia) achieved significant sustainability outcomes at its Hills M2 Motorway asset. Innovative solutions were deployed, in line with asset management best practice, resulting in success in diverting waste from landfill, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, generating biodiversity value and enhancing customer travel.
Independent verification of the sustainability outcomes was undertaken by using the Infrastructure Sustainability Council’s IS Operations rating scheme, and the Hills M2 Motorway was subsequently certified at an “Excellent Operations IS Rating”, with a score of 69 points – the highest operations rating within the industry.
2. Description of Project or Framework Addressing the Assessment Criteria
Transurban is one of the world’s leading toll-road operators and specialises in getting people where they want to go, as quickly and safely as possible – from designing and building new roads to researching new vehicle and road safety technology.
An Australian-owned company, Transurban builds and operates toll roads in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, as well as in Greater Washington, United States and Montreal, Canada. As an industry leader, the organisation sets high standards for performance on social and environmental issues, and also invest in both the creation of social inclusion and management of environmental impacts. Transurban is also a member of key industry organisations including the Asset Management Council of Australia and the Infrastructure Sustainability Council.
In 2022, Transurban (with the support of its incident response and maintenance contractor, Ventia) achieved significant sustainability outcomes at its Hills M2 Motorway asset. Innovative solutions were deployed, in line with asset management best practice, resulting in success in diverting waste from landfill, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, generating biodiversity value and enhancing customer travel.
As the concessionaire for the Hills M2, Transurban has whole-of-life responsibility for the asset. Asset management is undertaken by an experienced and dedicated internal team, whereby the lifecycle strategy, maintenance strategy and operations strategy are carefully planned out on a holistic basis.
Sustainability is integrated into Transurban’s asset management approach by similarly being considered on a holistic basis, whereby Transurban has developed a focus on People, Planet, Places and Partnerships, in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The incorporation of sustainability into its asset management approach has enabled Transurban to achieve the following:
- 48% GHG emissions reduction over the asset’s lifetime, compared to base case—from 72,967 t-CO2-e (base) to 37,895 t-CO2-e (actual)
- 97.6% of operations and maintenance waste and 63% of office waste diverted from landfill
- generated biodiversity value via roadside vegetation rehabilitation and management activities
- enhanced customer travel via a program promoting safer driving
- Deployment of innovative maintenance driver behaviour and fuel efficiency program
Transurban measures its performance against leading benchmarks. Independent verification of the sustainability outcomes was therefore undertaken by using the Infrastructure Sustainability Council’s IS Operations rating scheme, and the Hills M2 Motorway was subsequently certified in October 2022 at an “Excellent Operations IS Rating”, with a score of 69 points. This was the highest operations rating awarded within the industry, establishing new best-practice for sustainable motorway management.
The independent accreditation process helped Transurban and Ventia identify opportunities to operate the Hills M2 more sustainably, resulting in measurable positive outcomes. They diverted close to 100% of operations waste from landfill, developed more sustainable capital works solutions, and established the motorway’s climate change risk position. The implementation of sustainable principles throughout the Hills M2’s lifecycle demonstrates that sustainability considerations now inform all of the motorway’s systems and processes.
The degree of originality and ingenuity of the solutions implemented by Transurban and Ventia is exceptional, but also represents a significant advancement in the incorporation of sustainability into an overall value framework for asset management decision making. With decarbonisation initiatives accelerating across industry and frameworks such as PAS2080 emerging in importance, Transurban’s work to embed sustainability throughout its management systems can be considered leading industry practice.
3. Opinion as to specific contribution made by the nominated individual / team / organisation
The partnership between Transurban and Ventia is not just focused on the Hills M2 Motorway. A climate risk assessment has been conducted climate-risk management guidelines have been developed for use across all 22 Transurban assets, contributing to wider-industry learnings. This approach demonstrates a commitment to not only manage the assets but also to prepare for future challenges that may arise due to climate change.
The degree of originality and ingenuity of the solutions implemented by Transurban and Ventia is exceptional, but also represents a significant advancement in the incorporation of sustainability into an overall value framework for asset management decision making. With decarbonisation initiatives accelerating across industry and frameworks such as PAS2080 emerging in importance, Transurban’s work to embed sustainability throughout its management systems can be considered leading industry practice.
The sustainability outcomes achieved for the Hills M2 Motorway represent a significant contribution to the asset management industry, and the lessons learned can be applied more widely. The partnership between Transurban and Ventia has established new best-practice for sustainable motorway management, setting an example for others in the industry to follow.
Program and project management have been critical to the success of this partnership. The implementation of best practice asset management principles required collaboration and coordination between Transurban and Ventia. The partnership has been built on a strong foundation of communication, transparency, and shared goals, resulting in effective program and project management.
In summary, the partnership between Transurban and Ventia has resulted in exceptional outcomes for the Hills M2 Motorway and the wider asset management industry. The use of best practice asset management principles, degree of originality and ingenuity of solution, effective program and project management, and significant benefits for the community make Transurban and Ventia worthy nominees for the AM Council Excellence Award in sustainability. Their achievements demonstrate that sustainability and asset management can go hand in hand, delivering positive outcomes for both the community and the environment.