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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Details on the local jobs and training benefits that form part of the Western Roads Upgrade project were revealed at an event in Melbourne’s west today.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan and Minister for Industry and Employment Ben Carroll joined Netflow Western Roads Upgrade Project Director Damien Augustinus (all pictured) today to tour Victoria Polytechnic, where apprentices, trainees and cadets will be trained to work on the $1.8 billion project – the largest single investment in arterial roads in Australia to date.

More than 1,200 job opportunities will be created over the life of the project, with at least 10 per cent of those for apprentices, trainees and cadets.

Netflow, the Cintra and Plenary partnership, was announced as preferred respondent for the project earlier this month.

Importantly, more than 96 per cent of the material used will be locally-sourced, meaning Netflow will invest some $400 million into the local supply chain.

Mr Augustinus said the availability-style public-private partnership, the first of its kind for Australia, will help to support the rapid population growth in the west, create jobs for local workers, and provide less congestion on the roads.

“One of the initiatives Netflow established is a partnership with Victoria Polytechnic’s Skills and Jobs Centres to deliver practical skills training and development opportunities, which includes providing training and employment opportunities for former automotive workers,” Mr Augustinus said.

“We’re also helping to develop and improve the skills of the whole civil construction industry. The $400 million investment in the local supply chain allows the local contractors working on the project to invest in people, plant and equipment that increases their capacity to work on major infrastructure projects in the future.

“We look forward to partnering with the Victorian Government to deliver a project that will support growth, create jobs and provide less congestion on the roads.”

The project includes eight high-priority road upgrades, almost 30 kilometres of duplicated lanes and more than 800-lane-kilometres of road rehabilitation and maintenance for 20 years across Melbourne’s west.

The Netflow consortium combines a multi-tiered team of Australian and international road construction and maintenance experts:

  • Netflow, the Cintra and Plenary joint venture, as project sponsor;
  • WBHO Infrastructure as design and construction lead; and
  • Ferrovial Services companies Amey and Broadspectrum as services contractor.

Netflow is currently working with the Victorian Government to verify project details and achieve financial close, which is expected to be achieved by the end of the year.