Infrastructure Planning and Land Services

The Infrastructure Planning and Land Services (IPLS) division focuses on the strategic planning of the public transport network and to manage the PTA’s extensive land assets.

Its brief includes the definition of future infrastructure and rollingstock requirements; the master planning of major projects, including justification and the development of business cases; the management of PTA land and properties; and the management of the PTA’s environmental activities and issues.

The division has four branches:

• Transit Planning and Business Development
• Rail Planning and Design
• Land and Property Services
• Environmental.

The division has been tasked with preparing, by the end of the 2012-13 financial year, a Master Plan for a railway from the Midland Line at Bayswater, to Perth Airport and beyond. Also in the coming twelve months, IPLS will prepare detailed plans for:

• Rail, road and pedestrian facilities to support the new Perth Major Stadium at Burswood
• Extension of the Joondalup Line to Yanchep
• Extension (in the medium term) of the Thornlie Spur to Canning Vale (and beyond)
• A major new Park “n’ Ride train station on the Mandurah Line; (the new Aubin Grove Station).

Transit Planning and Business Development

This branch is responsible for the planning of future railways, rail extensions and new railway stations, as well as long-term planning for rail operations and railcar acquisition. Key projects for 2011-12 included:

• Detailed planning for the extension of the Joondalup Line to Yanchep
• Detailed planning for the future railway through Perth Airport to the eastern foothills
• Concept design for a new station at Karnup (Paganoni Road)
• Concept design for a new bus station at Canning Bridge Station
• Preliminary design concepts for a future re-location of Midland Station further east near the new hospital
• Preliminary transport analysis for the proposed Burswood stadium, including all rail, bus, road and non-motorised transport requirements
• Analysis of TOD (transport-orientated development) opportunities in relation to the Perth transport system
• Modelling transport demand on Perth’s rail network for the next 20 years to determine railcar requirements. This work will be the foundation of studies to identify associated infrastructure and operational requirements.

Rail Planning and Design

This branch provides engineering expertise for the planning and design of new rail projects, and technical support for the civil and track maintenance of our assets. Using computer-aided design, our engineers develop conceptual plans up to detailed design, and help other agencies in the implementation of rail projects.

Key projects for 2012-13 include:

• Conceptual design of the Butler-to-Yanchep extension
• Conceptual design of the transport infrastructure for the proposed Burswood stadium
• Detailed design for the Butler Extension Project (BEP) and network improvements at Leederville and Karnup
• Provision of technical rail advice to the Department of Planning, Department of Transport and Main Roads WA in relation to rail infrastructure works.

Land and Property Services

This branch manages the PTA’s non-operational land and property portfolio including heritage, leasing, acquisitions and sales, and provides related supporting services to other divisions within the PTA.

During the year, leasing income exceeded $12.9 million ($12m in 2010-11). A land and property register was completed and a complementary geographical information system is planned. This will be useful in defining the areas and attributes of more than 4000 listed properties and particularly the 594 current leases.

Support is being provided for major initiatives such as the Perth City Link, Butler (under construction) and Yanchep (planned) stations, and work has started on managing the risks associated with disused country railway lines following a major risk analysis project last year.

The branch works with other divisions and agencies for the disposal of redundant assets.

Environmental Branch

This branch was formed to provide specific environmental services across the PTA. It addresses significant and diverse environmental issues such as noise and vibration, land contamination and revegetation.

Investigations of contaminated land were undertaken during the year at the former Geraldton, Leighton and Forrestfield marshalling yards, Kewdale freight terminal and a former service station site on rail land in Gosnells.

We also provided environmental support to the Office of Strategic Projects by launching contamination investigations and environmental approval processes for the Burswood stadium project, and managed revegetation of land (pertaining to the New MetroRail project) at Leda, Stakehill and Paganoni Reserve, and monitoring of vegetation protection areas at Warnbro and Murdoch train stations.

The branch helped the PTA’s N&I division with noise and vibration monitoring and management. Support was also provided to the Major Projects division regarding preparation of clearing proposals at Nowergup and revegetation for the BEP, and environmental studies were undertaken for several future projects (including the Butler-to-Yanchep railway extension and Karnup Station).