At the IPWEAvic Leadership Series Business Luncheon held on 15 June 2012 at Kew Golf Club Gary Liddle, CEO VicRoads, spoke about leadership challenges faced in the road sector.
The top three leadership challenges are:
1. Embedding a service culture into the organisation by moving from a focus on assets to the servie VicRoads provides. Consider heavy vehicles from an asset protection point of view are a major cause of road deterioration and to rpotect the asset its best not to have heavy vehicle travle the road netwrok. However the reason for the road network is for safe and efficient movement of goods. Lesson: look at the reason for the road rather than protection of the asset. Develpoing a smart network is hte focus. Looking at the holstic transport network is also important and this is illustrated in the 170 road/rail crossings we have in Victoria where 10 grade separations are planned over the next 7 or8 years. Along the Dandenong corridor we are looking at the rail crossing closed for 60% of the time in the not too distant future
2. Maintenance. Over the next 2 to 3 years the amount of finding for road maintenance will be substantially reduced so there is a need to prioritise. This is a challenge and a leadership issue as we ask what can you do differently eg alliance contracting. There is a need to get the organistation into a mindset where reactive maintenance is undertaken but still need to do proactive maintenance.
3. Sustainability issue
- What can the organisation let go – VicRoads has built in additional layers over the years but now needs to consider what we do not really need to do
- Letting staff go – things we are no longer adding value
- Can we increase activity that generates income eg advertising
- We need to control our own destiny (not road user charging)
- Good at generating income for raising for capital projects but not for operating and maintaining systems
Communication is an important consideration in getting messages to the public.
Government determines the level of funding not VicRoads
VicRoads is committed to keeping the graduate program. It is a good place to grow your own engineers. VicRoads have a 60% retention rate after 10 years. After graduation from the program the graduates can travel over seas for 1 year on leave without pay.
VicRoads is 100 years old commencing in 1913 as Country Roads Board
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