Legislative Council, Tuesday 27 June 2023

Ms FORREST question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

With regard to the work commissioned by Government and awarded to GHD in March 2023 to assess the feasibility of a second bridge over the Cam River:

1. Please provide a copy the specific terms and scope of the work to be undertaken by GHD;

2. Has the stakeholder and community engagement plan been developed by GHD and the Department of State Growth;
a. If so, please provide details and a copy of this plan;
b. If not, when will it be complete?

ANSWER:

1. GHD was awarded the contract to develop the Second Cam River Bridge Feasibility Study through a tendering process under the Department of State Growth’s Consultant Panel Contract 3100 Professional Services for Transport Infrastructure. GHD was engaged with standard contract terms used by the department for its transport planning and design work.

The contract amount is $332,293 exclusive of GST, and the contract end date is 29 March 2024.

The terms and scope of the work is a lengthy document. In summary, the project scope includes:
• Baseline Analysis and Assessment - review all relevant previous studies and gain an understanding of the specific issues and opportunities for a second Cam River Bridge.
• Background Information - explain the vulnerabilities of the existing Cam River Bridge to flood damage and other incidents that could lead to closure of the Bass Highway at the bridge.
• Need for a Second Cam River Bridge - using the baseline analysis and assessment combined with the feedback from stakeholder and community consultation, outline the case (positive or negative) for a Second Cam River Bridge.
• Nature of a Second Cam River Bridge - establish the functional requirements of a Second Cam River Bridge and note how these differ depending on whether the bridge is built adjacent to the new bridge under construction, upstream as a connection between local council roads, or as part of an alternative dual carriageway route for the Bass Highway
• Examining all possible locations for a Second Cam River Bridge - option development should be informed by factors including the local street network, the topography, land ownership, stakeholder input and anticipated environmental and approval issues. Advantages (benefits & opportunities) and disadvantages (high level costs and risks) should be described for each option.
• Stakeholder and Community Consultation to obtain feedback on the developed options plan - undertake best practice stakeholder and community engagement in accordance with the State Roads Stakeholder and Community Engagement Framework
• Environmental and Planning assessment - complete a Desktop Assessment to identify and address the potential environmental, heritage and planning approval issues for all options

A copy of the scope of work to complete the study is in Attachment 1.

2. A Stakeholder and Community Engagement Plan (SCEP) is currently being developed by GHD in consultation with the department. The SCEP has not yet been finalised.
The SCEP will be finalised by mid-June 2023.