New metro schemes in Melbourne and Sydney could sustain the country’s skills pipeline “for a generation”, according to Mott MacDonald senior engineer David Naylor.
Speaking at New Civil Engineer’s Tunnelling Festival last week, Naylor highlighted the opportunity for operatives who have worked on schemes to stay within future metro and rail projects. “It’s a good pipeline,” he said. “For the Melbourne metro workers, it will be nicely timed that as soon as the current metro project finishes, they will go onto the next scheme from that. So it could be a good sustainable period for a generation or so.”
Due to complete in late 2025, the Melbourne metro scheme is being built to deal with the city’s frequent peak train cancellations, cutting out congestion and increasing capacity. There has been no spending on the transport system in the central business district since the City Loop, built in the early 1980s. The new metro will introduce five new underground stations, which are currently under construction.
Meanwhile, Sydney is currently serviced by suburban rail, ferry and road. Its new metro scheme is Australia’s biggest public transport project, with 31 metro stations and 66km of new metro rail. The Northwest metro is operational, while construction is ongoing on the City and Southwest section, which runs through the harbour area. The scheme is due to complete in 2024.
Both schemes have attracted workers from overseas. “I don’t think I’ve met as many UK expats as I have over the last two years,” said Naylor. “A lot of people have emigrated [from the UK and Ireland] and they are succeeding. Most people go on a temporary basis and don’t tend to come back.”