High Speed Rail is on the move again in Australia, with the Commonwealth Government's High Speed Rail Authority racing towards the halfway mark of development of its first business case.
The Australian High Speed Rail Association Sydney High Speed Rail Mini-Conference, to be held on the afternoon of Tuesday 25 June at Sydney Masonic Centre, will provide an informed update on how things are stacking up and where they are heading.
Join HSR industry experts, enthusiastic supporters and perennial sceptics for a half-day update on what has the potential to be Australia's most transformative public infrastructure investment.
Conference details
Venue: Sydney Masonic Centre 66 Goulburn St, Sydney NSW 2000
Date and time: Tuesday 25th June, 2 - 6pm
Speakers
Professor Andrew McNaughton (keynote)
Former Federal MHR for Bennelong John Alexander
Professor Garry Glazebrook from Fastrack Australia
Graham Nelmes, General Manager Customer, Place, and Operations at the High Speed Rail Authority
Geoff Brunsdon, Non-Executive Director and Chairman, Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC)
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Booking
To attend, go to the event booking page on Humanitix
More about the event
International rail expert and friend of Australia, Professor Andrew McNaughton, headlines the conference as keynote speaker.
On the basis of his experience in the UK as Technical Director for HS2 and in a similar role for HS1, he was engaged by the New South Wales Government as Chairperson of the Fastrail Program from 2018 to 2020 to evaluate faster rail options for NSW and deliver recommendations on a way forward.
He investigated upgrading rail links from Sydney to Newcastle, Wollongong, Canberra and Orange. The final Fastrail report on these proposals containing his recommendations was imminent, but was shelved when Gladys Berejiklian resigned as Premier and was succeeded by Dominic Perrotet. What can the professor tell us about his recommendations that have never been made public?
Graham Nelmes, General Manager Customer, Place, and Operations at the High Speed Rail Authority will provide an update on the Sydney to Newcastle HSR Business Case and Pathway to Delivery Report.
 Former MP John Alexander led federal government inquiries into high speed rail, regional development and housing during his ten year parliamentary career. John has immersed himself in the practice and theory of settlement strategies - to manage and decentralise population growth - and value capture - to fund public infrastructure. John will provide a top-down perspective on why and where HSR is needed in Australia - and how it can be funded.
Professor Garry Glazebrook from Fastrack Australia will explain how to maximise the impact of HSR on NSW cities and regions - and accelerate its rollout.
Geoff Brunsdon, Non-Executive Director and Chairman, QIC will provide concluding remarks on the importance of HSR from a business leader's perspective.
A Panel Discussion will follow the speakers.
It appears that Professor McNaughton, Fastrack Australia and John Alexander agree on some critical issues, as Ross Lowrey explains:
Last week we [Fastrack] spoke with Professor McNaughton.
He said he was very heartened to hear our approach closely coincides with his recommendations to the NSW Government, particularly on the need to integrate high speed and existing conventional rail lines.
He agreed the primary purpose would be to spread population and economic growth into regional cities, rather than simply compete with air travel.
He also agreed that the line south from Sydney to Canberra should be of equal priority to the Sydney-Newcastle line, being much less difficult to implement with strong benefits that can be realised more quickly.
It will be fascinating to hear these opinions articulated and challenged in the Panel Discussion.
A Networking session over drinks and canapes will round out the Conference.
Places for the High Speed Rail Mini-Conference are filling fast, so to avoid missing out, book now at Humanitix
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