Promise, Passion and Pursuit

The PPP Award is awarded to an emerging leader who shows Promise, Passion and Pursuit within the transport industry. The recipient will have the opportunity to engage in a 12-month industry experience, observing and understanding how leaders interact and make decisions while playing an integral role in the growth and development of the Emerging Leaders Program.

Why you should apply

Nicki Lever chats with Verity Williams and John Hallam, two past winners of RA’s PPP Award about why they decided to apply for the award – and how the experience has helped them in their careers.

Application process and review

The PPP Award winner will be responsible for developing and executing an industry transformation project over a 12-month period. PPP Award applicants will need to:

  • Identify their focus area for the year ahead, outlined in the drop down options below.
  • Undertake a research project with recommendations relevant to their chosen focus area and communicate this with the broader RA membership.
  • Provide a plan of initiatives to help achieve their goals in their focus area.

Research projects will be required to address one of the aims listed under the chosen focus area, as listed below.

Decarbonising the transport economy

  • Clarify application of carbon value, industry obligations to reduce emissions
  • Demonstrate best practice innovation to cut the carbon cost of transport infrastructure
  • Support an initiative to support delivery of the National Transport and Infrastructure Road Map and Action Plan

Boosting Productivity

  • Promote national transport infrastructure sector performance
  • Develop a plan/tool for better pipeline visibility
  • Develop innovative contracting methods to balance risk, value and long-term sector health
  • Accelerate uptake of modern construction methods, technology and no build/build less solutions

Workplace skills and culture

  • Increase diversity across the transport infrastructure workforce
  • Improve availability of talent for the transport infrastructure sector
  • Increase awareness of the current and future skills needs of the transport infrastructure sector

Safety

  • Demonstrate the latest local and global road and workplace safety innovation
  • Share best value road and workplace safety improvements and outcomes from industry, local/global evidence
  • Embed roadworker safety guidance into the national traffic management ecosystem

Diversity & Inclusion

Gender equality

  • Raise awareness and improve the attractiveness of the industry.  
  • Improve procurement and tendering processes to enhance female participation.

Indigenous participation

  • Increase engagement with Indigenous industry participants.

Hearing and acting on the voice of young people

  • Engage and encourage emerging leaders.  
  • Provide mentoring opportunities for emerging leaders.

Applications for 2024 are now open

For more information, contact Felicity Lampert.

Award inclusions

The successful PPP award winner will have access to a range of unique and invaluable opportunities over 12 months, including:

  • complimentary access to all RA industry events (‘Golden Ticket’) excluding the John Shaw Dinner
  • actively contribute to Emerging Leaders events, including speaking and facilitating
  • observer position on our Future Leaders Committee, contributing to the growth and development of the Future Leaders Programs
  • observer position on the D&I Committee to represent Emerging Leaders
  • ability to engage in some Fellowship activities, including leadership lunches.

Am I eligible to apply?

Applications are open to those with less than 10 years experience, and whose company is a member of Roads Australia. 

This award is not open to current or past RA Fellows.

2023 PPP Award winner – Fiona McDonald

Fiona McDonald is Senior Manager Inter Government Relations, Industry Engagement & Development, Infrastructure & Place at Transport for NSW.

Fiona is a talented senior manager with a passion for transforming the infrastructure and transport sector for the better. With close to a decade of experience across Australian and international governments and the private sector, she has honed skills in project and program management, governance, public policy development, strategic thinking and stakeholder engagement.

Fiona has led the development of complex road infrastructure projects in Western Sydney and the United Kingdom where she oversaw the roll-out of industry leading innovation programs. In 2020 she also played a key role in the coordination and communication response for the NSW Bushfire Clean-up Program winning a NSW Premier’s Award and IAP2 Core Values Award.

Pictured (L to R): Stuart Cook, Chair – RA Future Leaders Committee; Fiona McDonald; John Hallam, 2022 PPP Award winner; Verity Turner, Deputy Chair – RA Future Leaders Committee