What's Happening
Deliberative panel in full swing
Our Deliberative Panel got underway in late November with two of the four sessions now complete.
These all-day sessions were independently facilitated and gave community members the opportunity to propose and evaluate possible solutions for the future of the Orrong Road corridor.
Project Director David Goodram said the Panel had investigated the Orrong Road corridor to better understand the people, places, and movements along and across it, and then looked at what design options are possible.
“The Panel spent time exploring options for each of the four areas of the corridor, using examples of similar corridors in Australia and around the world to determine what was possible,” he said. “They considered the pros and cons of the various options and came up with their potential solutions.”
The project team will now consider the Panel’s proposals in detail and develop the short-listed options further.
The Panel will reconvene in March 2025 for another two days of deliberations at which the shortlisted options will be presented back to them for more detailed discussion, analysis, refinement, and selection.
A deliberative panel is a group comprised mostly of randomly recruited community members, with some appointed through an expression of interest process. The group is selected to reflect the demographics of the area and those directly impacted by a decision-making process.
Deliberative panels typically use a super majority model whereby 80% of the group must agree on the recommendation(s) put forward.
The Orrong Connect Panel was given a remit to provide advice and rationale for the sustainable future development of the Orrong Road transport corridor.
Engagement results
The broad engagement period that concluded in October provided the team with some great insights.
The online survey attracted 705 responses with the top responders being:
- 487 road users travelling from within to outside of the area
- 375 road users travelling within the area
- 426 road users who travel the corridor daily
70 per cent of respondents said the most important factor when travelling through the Orrong Road transport corridor was travel time and access to crossings for vehicles (across Orrong Road) was labelled second most important by 46 per cent of respondents.
Our Community Engagement Snapshot provides more information.
Sustainability
The Main Roads Sustainability Policy, which commits us to creating lasting benefits through an integrated consideration of social, environmental and economic aspects in all that we do, is integral to Orrong Connect and it will help guide upcoming deliberations.
The Net Zero, Social Impact and Sustainable Development factsheets have been created for our Deliberative Panel, stakeholders and the community to learn more about our approach to sustainability and how we look to integrate it into everything we do.
Project overview
Orrong Road is a vital connection for many people moving across Perth.
Its role is both local, connecting communities and businesses in the surrounding suburbs, and regional, linking people to Perth Airport, the south-eastern suburbs and Perth Hills. It also links to Welshpool and Kewdale freight/industrial areas.
Every day, around 65,000 vehicles (or 85,000 people) travel along Orrong Road between Great Eastern Highway and Leach Highway. In future, congestion will worsen as population and traffic volumes continue to grow.
Main Roads is engaging the community and stakeholders to help shape a plan that can improve safety, reduce congestion and enhance connectivity and liveability for people who travel along or live near this key transport route.
To create a community-focussed vision for the future of Orrong Road we are using a mix of engagement approaches including:
- Broad consultation
- Targeted, direct engagement with key stakeholders.
- Utilising a deliberative panel to consider options and deliver a recommendation that meets the needs of all road users and the local community.
The project is currently in the planning phase. The full project lifecycle, and a project map, are outlined in the graphics below
Participate
We are keen to hear from a diverse range of people to help us plan the future of Orrong Road.
Take part »Resources
On this page you will find project resources and information as well as the latest news and information to help you understand more about the Orrong Connect project.
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