Project Spotlight with Canberra Metro Light Rail

Featuring Paul Galea, Andrea Garcia, Sally Coyle and Harley McNamara from Canberra Metro Light Rail.

Can you give us a general overview of your project?

The Canberra Metro Light Rail is a public private partnership between the ACT Government and the Canberra Metro consortium. The projects primary deliverables are to design, construct, operate, maintain and finance the project. John Holland Group and CPB have significant long term interest in the project’s success. My role is the Communications and Stakeholder Manager during the construct phase. My Client contractually is the Special Purpose Vehicle that comprises representatives of the consortium. In real terms, my day-to-day client is the ACT Government (Transport Canberra).

The scope of the build phase work includes the construction of:

• 12 kilometres of light rail from Gungahlin to Civic.
• 13 light rail stops along the alignment.
• One light rail depot including stabling and maintenance facilities and base for drivers and employees
• Three new bridges to support the light rail track, flood levy
• Five traction power sub-stations

Associated build includes:

• 26 redeveloped signalised road intersections to accommodate new rail lines, with alignment of existing roads and curbing
• Upgrades to existing pedestrian and cycling paths, and a new equestrian crossing
• Relocation and upgraded storm water and gas mains
• Urban design and landscaping, including planting new trees

The Canberra community along the 12 kilometre alignment is diverse. Gungahlin is Australia’s fastest growing suburb with young families pre-dominant while at the other end of the alignment is the city centre which features multi-storey residential/commercial buildings. In between is the commercial and industrial area of Mitchell and established areas such as Downer and Dickson. Spurred on by the light rail construction, the face of the alignment corridor itself is undergoing rapid change. To the neutral observer, in simple terms, Canberra is clearly undergoing urban renewal, economic development and social transformation, not just within the public transport sector.

Tell us about your project

What types of engagement methods/tools did you use?

At peak, there has been a four person communication team working to support the construction phase. To maximise outputs against the contractual obligations, the engagement approach focused on:

• Place management – assign consistent staff to geographical areas of operation to develop and maintain continuity of relationships
• Outreach: participate in community events, sponsorship opportunities; outreach to schools and aged care residential villages; briefings to community and stakeholder groups.
• Multichannel information: daily online information and dedicated website; social media construction videos; media stories, contributions to industry and community newsletter, advertising
• Individual ‘personalised’ engagement: quick response strategy to complaints/enquiries with a strong bias for face-to-face, first name basis community engagement. 24/7 direct phone service.
• Community and Business forums including key stakeholder meetings and consultation; Information: undertake daily social media content input;
• Consult and Involve: community and stakeholder forums, participate in community events, sponsorship opportunities; outreach to schools and aged care residential villages.

In support of out-of-hours works, the approach was to:

• Letterbox community notices seven days prior to out-of-hours works 250m either aside of alignment – To date more than 300 separate notifications have been developed and distributed to stakeholders.
• Advise directly affected businesses, especially accommodation providers, along the alignment
• Undertake follow up door knocking as required
• Provide Updates via social media channels (Facebook, Twitter)

What principles did you find most useful in carrying out this project?

Useful front line engagement principles adopted included:

• Leading by example. My team collectively had little or no experience in construction related communications. Mentoring as to the realities of construction communication therefore became a priority.
• Focus less on email communications and more on conversations, especially with engineers and the community
• Always deliver on commitments made…(i.e. don’t be a gunna do)
• Trust the power of fact and rely less on marketing spin
• Champion relationship building internally and externally
• 24/7 phone service means 24/7
• Adopt a quick response strategy to complaints/enquiries with a strong bias for face-to-face, first name basis community engagement

Did you come across any surprises on this project?

1. The relatively low level of formal complaints. Over the two years of the build, the monthly complaint average is much less than usually experienced by a linear project of this length within an urban corridor.
2. The type of complaints received. Traffic related issues exceeds out-of-hours noise as the most complained issue on the project.
3. Broad based project interest. The calls for information and hands on tours came from interstate and overseas and included a group of engineering students from Japan, Government officials from New Zealand and China, and a film crew from the BBC!
4. Social media savvy Baby Boomers. There has been a steady stream of follow up enquiries from over 50s using the internet and wanting more information, especially relative to trip planning.

Have you applied the IAP2 Spectrum in this project?

Yes – it was most consciously used in the partnership relationship with Transport Canberra when planning and deciding on community and stakeholder engagement activities. Being clear and agreeing up front on the communication purpose to ‘inform’, ‘consult’ or ‘involve’ ensured that we maintained a highly effective working relationship in a highly pressured, media scrutinised and challenging construction environment, for the benefit of Canberrans.

If you could change the engagement process in some ways, how would you do that?

Less reliance on paper notifications hand delivered to individual letterboxes balanced by increased promotion of 1300 phone service, and website; with increased opportunities for personal interactions. .

What did you find the most rewarding aspect of working on this project?

It’s been pleasing to know that the team has delivered on its primary task of supporting the construction function in a way that aligns to both Corporate and Client expectations.

The team has been doing the job day in, day out in a professional manner that others can rely on – I don’t believe you can ask for more than that.

From a community aspect we have appreciated the overall patience displayed by the community in the face of the daily road disruptions and the out-of-hours works.

What are the current challenges or barriers that still exist in this area of engagement?

Recruiting local communications talent to work in a major, long term construction environment is a challenge.

It’s not a role for everyone.

Also, being kept abreast of frequent construction program change remains an ever present challenge

Were you able to overcome those barriers/challenges and if so how?

In both instances, yes. The strategy to recruit locally and mentor with a strong emphasis on refining the tools for positive engagement, such as active listening, is fundamental to a manager’s role.

As for keeping ahead of program change, it’s very much a matter of being proactive.

This means putting leather to the floor, getting away from the desk and going directly and regularly to key points of contact such as engineers, planners, fellow managers, leading hands, for information.

What are some of the learnt lessons from this project that you could apply to future projects?

Not so much a lesson learnt but more of an affirmation that whilst social media has its rightful place in the construction environment the key to success in a high profile change environment is to focus strongly on face-to-face community engagement.

Paul Galalea from Canerra Light Metro Rail