The Alliance & The Community

JRCPA delegates meet with Council and the RTA about monthly to discuss further issues in conjunction with Johns River Post-Bypass.   
This includes discussions on the provision of meaningful assistance by both Council and the road building Alliance of Thiess, Parsons-Brinkerhoff and the RTA. 
In past projects, such as at Nabiac south of Taree, Thiess was able to kindly donate their time and materials to build a super little town park for the community, as a goodwill gesture.   Residents to this day enjoy the fruits of Thiess's kindness, the little park a true asset to the little town. 
Of course, with 32.7km on the current project, from Coopernook, through Moorland, Johns River, Kew and Heron's Creek, we can only hope in Johns River to get a share of any such goodwill this time.

Paa-ving the Way

Our Coopernook to Herons Creek road-building project is being done under a contractual agreement called a "PAA", signed by the RTA and the road construction companies, featuring unified project management.

Check out the full Project Alliance Agreement here

The tripartite Project Alliance Agreement (PAA) binds together the RTA with lead contractor Thiess, and Parsons-Brinkerhoff.
Thiess also chose to structure their work to include countless Thiess subcontractors and subsidiaries such as Leighton Holdings Ltd, John Holland, Hochtief and dozens of other construction and infrastructure specialty firms.  The RTA carefully monitors the progress of the private construction firms using performance indicators and result areas to ensure the NSW Government and the public gets good value for money across the life of the massive project.

Take Us to Your Leadership Team

The Alliance Leadership Team (ALT) meets monthly and has appointed an Alliance Manager to carry out decisions made by the ALT, through a larger Management Team and then an even larger Wider Alliance Team.   The executive-level ALT can also form subcommittees with terms of reference to deal with issues such as community goodwill measures.  To ensure a tight consensus, all six of the ALT members (two from each of the RTA, Thiess and Parsons-Brinkerhoff) must agree for any decision to pass.

RTA:  Flexible and Responsive

While the Alliance Leadership Team deals with most daily policy issues, the RTA has the flexibility to increase, add-on, and change the scope of any part of the project to respond to newly identified needs.
Conversely, the ALT can also initiate its own scope change recommendations to the RTA when the ALT identifies additional works needed.   But since scope changes and new directions from either end can result in unintended planning and budgetary nightmares, caution in directing them is indeed understandable.

Committed to the Community

The Alliance has made a firm commitment to show true responsiveness and sensitivity to community groups like the JRCPA and members of our community in general.   As part of this commitment, the RTA retains the right and responsibility to direct the Alliance Leadership Team in matters dealing with residents and businesses in Johns River and other localities along the project.  The ALT, as part of it's stated Alliance objectives, is responsible for providing effective management of impacts on local residents as part of its Environment and Social key result areas (KRAs). 
In the end, the RTA and Alliance are in a daily battle to balance their commitments to the many communities along the upgrade route, with already tight schedules due to rain delays, and an increasingly stretched project budget.

Upcoming Meetings

In early 2009, your JRCPA Management Committee members of will continue to assist the RTA/Alliance to better understand community needs, and in particular, for Thiess to continue its admirable history of community support.

These subjects and others will be canvassed at future meetings of both the Post-Bypass Committee, as well as through the Community Interest Group, which is chaired by the Alliance to enhance communication and understand community issues along the upgrade corridor.

Other issues to be raised with Council are the re-numbering of the proposed Johns River Drive and Koolyangarra Way, and provision of access to the sidewalk on the bridge going over the new highway from the village to the roundabout.

In addition to Council areas, part of the Alliance agreement outlines local road works including footpaths, cycleways, landscaped areas and even streets which are required as a result of community consultation.

Ongoing meetings have been scheduled between JRCPA Management and the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC), the Catchment Management Authority, and the Purfleet-Taree Local Aboriginal Lands Council, along with various state and federal funding bodies, both within government and non-governmental bodies as well.

For project info contact the Alliance on 1800 353 670 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1800 353 670      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, or any Management Committee member