westgate tunnel project - victoria

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The $10 billion West Gate Tunnel Project is one of the largest transport infrastructure undertakings in Victoria’s history—designed to provide a vital alternative to the West Gate Bridge, reduce congestion, and support long-term freight and commuter movement across Melbourne’s western corridor.

The project’s scale, complexity, and profile placed it at the centre of public, political, and industry attention.

Trevor Hall served as Executive General Manager for John Holland—one of the Joint Venture (JV) partners delivering the project—holding full P&L accountability for the project and reporting directly to the John Holland Board. Trevor had previously been a member of the JV leadership team during the tendering phase and continued in a senior delivery capacity.

During a critical three-year period marked by commercial, operational, and stakeholder challenges, Trevor was appointed Chair of the JV Board and led the project through its most difficult reset and recovery phase.

Alongside Trevor, Struan Collins initially served as Deputy Project Director and subsequently stepped up to become Project Director, with full accountability for the completion of the multi-billion-dollar program.

Their combined leadership, governance strength, and commercial focus helped stabilise the project, re-engage key stakeholders, and re-chart the course for delivery under intense scrutiny.

• Managing the significant cost, schedule, and contractual pressures
• Resetting team culture, governance structure, and delivery accountability
• Navigating complex stakeholder demands from Government, Transurban, and the public
• Rebuilding trust between JV partners, delivery teams, and client representatives
• Delivering tunnelling, freeway upgrades, and major urban interfaces concurrently

  Governance reset through JV Board realignment and leadership renewal

• Reinstated stakeholder confidence across multiple high-pressure interfaces
• Established a delivery path forward for all remaining stages of the project
• Strengthened delivery systems and reporting aligned to Board expectations
• Transitioned project from stalled to stabilised with leadership continuity in place

The West Gate Tunnel Project reset is a defining example of the real-world experience HCE Advisory brings to distressed major projects. Trevor’s role in chairing the JV Board and leading the reset effort—with Struan taking over as Project Director—demonstrates the firm’s ability to lead under pressure, restructure at scale, and deliver alignment where it counts most.

It is this calibre of experience that now informs HCE Advisory’s project reset, commercial advisory, and governance strategy services—trusted by clients when the stakes are high. 

The Liverpool–Parramatta Transitway was a major NSW Government initiative to improve public transport efficiency and connectivity across Western Sydney. Package C was a complex section involving new road alignments, signalised intersections, bridgeworks, and dedicated bus corridors—all delivered through live traffic environments and densely populated areas. The Yandina Bypass was a critical regional infrastructure project aimed at alleviating congestion, improving road safety, and enhancing freight efficiency along Queensland’s Bruce Highway corridor. Serving as a major upgrade for the Sunshine Coast region, the bypass diverted traffic from the town centre while integrating long-term resilience into the transport network.

Trevor Hall (Project Manager) and Struan Collins (Senior Project Engineer) led the successful delivery of Package C on behalf of their employer in 2004. The project team navigated a significant client delay, tight staging constraints, and critical program risks while maintaining stakeholder confidence and delivery momentum.

Their collaborative leadership and ability to turn challenge into opportunity restored trust and showcased the value of proactive, solution-focused delivery leadership.

• Managing complex urban interfaces with multiple live intersections
• Adjusting to mid-project client-imposed delays
• Coordinating diverse utilities and stakeholder requirements
• Delivering high-visibility works in a politically sensitive corridor

• Project completed safely and successfully under difficult circumstances
• Re-established client confidence through professional, transparent leadership
• Enabled key transport benefits for the growing Western Sydney region
• Became a proving ground for future collaborative delivery models

As a direct result of the performance and collaboration shown on this project, Trevor and Struan’s employer was awarded the first-ever alliance contract in New South Wales—the landmark Seacliff Alliance for the Lawrence Hargrave Drive Upgrade.

The Clem 7 Tunnel was a landmark project in Brisbane’s transport network—a complex tunnelling and motorway link designed to improve traffic flow beneath the city. Like many large-scale infrastructure initiatives, the project encountered significant delivery challenges partway through construction, prompting a change in leadership and a need for a recalibrated project strategy.

Trevor Hall was invited to step into the leadership of the Clem 7 project during a period of significant commercial and delivery pressure. At that time, the project had experienced a major shift in its financial position—triggering concern across stakeholders and parent company executives.

Although Trevor had not been previously responsible for the delivery of the project, he was brought in to lead a strategic and operational reset, bringing structure, visibility, and commercial discipline to a high-pressure environment.

“It wasn’t about blame—it was about restoring confidence, clarifying accountability, and helping the business move forward with focus.”
— Trevor Hall

• Risk Management Frameworks could have benefited from more robust scenario planning and downside analysis.
• Design Integration faced delivery pressure due to delayed design packages and complex program dependencies.
• Governance Cadence lacked structured visibility—key insights were not consistently escalated at the right time.
• Leadership Alignment across some project areas could have been more closely matched to the unique demands of tunnelling environments.
• Project Reporting did not always provide early insight into emerging trends, limiting responsiveness.

Trevor’s role was to lead a stabilisation strategy focused on delivery confidence, clear governance, and operating rhythm:

• Reset the Project Operating Rhythm: Introduced structured cadence between the project leadership and executive oversight.
• Clarified Accountability: Refocused leadership roles and empowered team members with clear KPIs and support.
• Enhanced Governance: Re-established Board-level reporting frameworks for timely and actionable insights.
• Strengthened Collaboration: Reinforced a proactive, transparent working relationship between project, parent companies, and partners.
• Supported Leadership Transition: Where required, realigned capability to better suit project complexity—particularly in specialist domains such as tunnelling.

• Project performance stabilised and delivery confidence progressively restored
• Executive stakeholders gained clearer visibility and control
• Governance structures repositioned to better support decision-making
• Teams regained alignment and focus around delivery milestones
• Lessons from the experience contributed to improved practices across the broader organisation

The Clem 7 experience illustrates how early structured insight, clear governance, and decisive leadership can redirect the trajectory of major infrastructure projects.

Trevor’s role in leading the reset informed many of the principles that underpin HCE Advisory’s current practice, particularly in situations requiring strategic reviews, commercial stabilisation, and project turnaround support.

 The Yandina Bypass was a critical regional infrastructure project aimed at alleviating congestion, improving road safety, and enhancing freight efficiency along Queensland’s Bruce Highway corridor. Serving as a major upgrade for the Sunshine Coast region, the bypass diverted traffic from the town centre while integrating long-term resilience into the transport network.

Trevor Hall served as Project Manager, leading the delivery of what would become a landmark project—not only for the region but for the Department of Main Roads. This project marked the first use of concrete pavement by the Department in approximately 40 years, requiring a major shift in mindset, methodology, and industry alignment.

Trevor’s ability to enrol the client, contractor, supply chain, and workforce around a shared vision was central to the project’s success—bridging technological innovation with practical delivery for the benefit of the local environment and long-term infrastructure performance.

• Introduction of unfamiliar concrete pavement technology within a traditional bitumen-based culture
• Stakeholder education and technical alignment across all delivery partners
• Live traffic and community interface management in a growing town centre
• Integration of new roadworks into legacy infrastructure and service networks

• Safely delivered on time and within budget
• Seamless integration of concrete pavement delivery—setting a new standard for future works
• Minimal disruption to the local community with strong stakeholder support
• Demonstrated environmental benefits through durability and reduced lifecycle maintenance

The Yandina Bypass showcased Trevor’s unique leadership in navigating technical change, cultural resistance, and delivery pressure—all in a regional context. His success in delivering Queensland’s first concrete road pavement in four decades, through collaboration and alignment, stands as a testament to the practical, forward-thinking approach HCE Advisory brings to every client today.

The Byerston Range Access Project formed a critical part of a remote infrastructure upgrade program in Far North Queensland. The project involved constructing a new access corridor through difficult, isolated terrain—providing a vital link to support future regional development and improve resilience in Northern Queensland’s infrastructure network.

Trevor Hall served as Project Manager on behalf of Abigroup in 2021, leading a multidisciplinary team through extreme environmental, logistical, and program constraints. His leadership ensured a disciplined approach to planning, regional engagement, and risk management—while maintaining strong momentum in an isolated and high-risk delivery environment.

With a deep understanding of regional delivery and hands-on leadership, Trevor was able to navigate the unique terrain, workforce, and access challenges to deliver the project safely and to scope.

• Remote location with complex logistics and limited local access
• Navigating environmental sensitivities in a protected natural setting
• Engaging traditional Owners and local stakeholders
• Managing  program pressures under regional workforce constraints

• Project delivered safely, on time, and in alignment with environmental obligations
• Strong community and stakeholder relationships established
• Enabled future infrastructure development and regional investment
• Demonstrated capability to deliver in some of Australia’s most demanding remote conditions

The Byerston Range project exemplifies the kind of leadership and delivery insight that HCE Advisory brings to complex, constrained environments. Trevor’s role in overcoming isolation, aligning stakeholders, and enabling regional resilience reflects the practical, on-the-ground experience that underpins our advisory practice today.

The Gold Coast Light Rail is one of Queensland’s most significant public transport investments, connecting key activity centres across the Gold Coast and supporting the region’s long-term growth. As a complex, multi-stage delivery program, the project involves substantial urban interface challenges, stakeholder expectations, and delivery risk.

Trevor Hall was engaged directly by the CEO of John Holland to lead a strategic review of the live Gold Coast Light Rail project. Recognising that outcomes were not meeting potential, Trevor brought a focused, outcomes-driven approach to assess delivery effectiveness, stakeholder alignment, and commercial performance.

Leading a targeted review team, Trevor applied his unique ability to translate operational insights into strategic action. The team identified and prioritised over 50 significant improvement initiatives, each aimed at delivering tangible benefits across time, cost, quality, safety, stakeholder satisfaction, and delivery risk.

Trevor’s ability to diagnose complex challenges and mobilise practical, high-impact change ensured the review delivered real value, improving project outcomes for all stakeholders, not just the contractor.

• Delivery pressure within a high-visibility public environment
• Coordination across multiple authorities, interfaces, and precincts
• Constraints in existing project controls and reporting frameworks
• Need for step-change rather than incremental improvement

• Identified and initiated more than 50 key improvement actions
• Enhanced project confidence across both internal and client stakeholders
• Embedded a clear roadmap for performance uplift and delivery focus
• Improved alignment across project leadership, JV partners, and key authorities

This engagement highlights HCE Advisory’s strength in strategic diagnostics, executive alignment, and operational turnaround. Trevor’s leadership of the Gold Coast Light Rail review not only repositioned the project for success, it reinforced the value of bringing lived experience, sharp analysis, and structured action to live infrastructure challenges.

It’s this capability that HCE Advisory brings to clients facing complex projects and high-performance expectations.

The Mernda Rail Extension was a flagship Victorian infrastructure project that reconnected Melbourne’s northern growth corridor to the metropolitan train network for the first time in decades. The project included eight kilometres of new dual rail track, three new stations, grade separations, road and pedestrian bridges, and integrated transport connections—all delivered through suburban communities with live interfaces.

Trevor Hall led John Holland’s winning strategy for the Mernda Rail Extension, securing the project through a highly competitive tender that aligned delivery capability with social outcomes, community priorities, and constructability innovation.

As Executive accountable for P&L, Trevor oversaw the financial and commercial performance of the project through all stages of procurement, mobilisation, and execution.

Struan Collins served as Operational Manager, responsible for day-to-day delivery and team leadership across all workfronts. His role was central to maintaining program momentum, construction quality, and stakeholder interface management through a densely urbanised and politically visible corridor.

Together, Trevor and Struan ensured the project met community expectations, political milestones, and delivery outcomes, while building trusted relationships across Government, local councils, and end users.

• Fast-tracked delivery schedule aligned to election commitments
• Complex utility relocations and brownfield rail interfaces
• Maintaining community access and engagement through active urban areas
• Balancing cost, scope, and social procurement expectations

• Delivered on time and on budget under intense public scrutiny
• Seamlessly integrated new rail services into the existing network
• Set a new benchmark for urban rail delivery in growth corridors
• Demonstrated effective collaboration between strategy, commercial, and operational leaders

The Mernda Rail Extension is a standout example of how strategic positioning and operational leadership must work hand-in-hand. Trevor’s successful tender strategy and executive oversight, combined with Struan’s disciplined delivery leadership, reflects the integrated advisory model that HCE Advisory now offers to clients, especially those navigating high-profile, time-sensitive, community-facing infrastructure programs.

he Melbourne Metro Tunnel Project is the most complex and ambitious upgrade to Melbourne’s public transport network in decades—transforming capacity, connectivity and liveability across the city. The project includes the delivery of twin nine-kilometre tunnels, five new underground stations, systems integration, and a new High Capacity Metro Train timetable—all delivered in a live urban environment.

This city-shaping project is being delivered as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) involving construction, operations, and long-term station development responsibilities.

Trevor Hall was appointed Chair of the Joint Venture Board during the bidding and commencement phase of the project. In this role, Trevor led the multi-party leadership team through one of the most competitive and commercially complex tenders in Victorian history—ultimately securing the winning position for the JV and placing John Holland in four pivotal roles:

1. Concession Partner – Part of the long-term PPP structure
2. Operator – Involved in the delivery and commissioning of future metro operations
3. Construction Delivery Partner – Delivering key underground works and integration
4. Overstation Developer – Accountable for one of Melbourne’s most valuable CBD developments
    

Trevor’s leadership was instrumental in aligning construction, operational and commercial outcomes across multiple workstreams—ensuring John Holland's role extended well beyond delivery into long-term value creation.

• Structuring and negotiating complex PPP and concession arrangements
• Coordinating multiple delivery and operational consortia within one project
• Positioning the contractor to lead across construction and operations 
• Managing political, community, and urban stakeholder expectations
• Navigating planning and interface risks in Melbourne’s dense CBD

• Successfully secured and commenced delivery of Melbourne’s most complex public transport project
• Established the contractor's across construction, operations, concession, and CBD development
• Embedded governance structures to align diverse stakeholders across long-term delivery
• Set the foundation for safe delivery, integrated handover and commercial success

The Melbourne Metro project represents a benchmark in multi-dimensional infrastructure leadership. Trevor’s role as JV Board Chair ensured strategic alignment across public and private partners, and secured long-term influence for John Holland across all facets of the project.

This project reinforces HCE Advisory’s deep understanding of PPP structures, commercial positioning, and long-term asset lifecycle thinking—critical when advising clients involved in high-profile, complex urban infrastructure.

The North West Program Alliance was a key component of the Victorian Government’s Level Crossing Removal Program, tasked with removing some of the most complex and dangerous crossings in Melbourne’s north-west corridor. The works included significant rail infrastructure, grade separations, station rebuilds, and community integration in live operational environments.

Its strategic importance was matched by its complexity—requiring deep alignment with community, safety, and operational performance expectations.

Trevor Hall led the strategic direction of the contracting business during the NWPA’s formation, driving the early engagement, bid positioning, and ultimately winning the work through a deep understanding of the client’s true needs. His leadership focused on building long-term trust with the alliance client team, ensuring that the contractor wasn’t just appointed, but was consistently trusted with future packages.

Once underway, Trevor ensured that the contractor partner continued to deliver value beyond compliance—embedding a culture of performance, adaptability, and client-centricity across all aspects of delivery.

Struan Collins was accountable for the interface between the delivery teams and the alliance leadership. He managed the deployment of people and resources to ensure program certainty while maintaining an uncompromising focus on safety, productivity, and innovation.

Their leadership collaboration created a rhythm of success—winning work, optimising delivery, and setting the benchmark for alliance performance.

• Delivering in live brownfield rail environments with minimal disruption to operations
• Coordinating multiple station rebuilds and complex utility/service relocations
• Embedding a culture of alliance-first behaviours across a multi-partner team
• Managing evolving community expectations in sensitive residential corridors
• Sustaining workforce and resource continuity across concurrent packages

• Successfully secured and delivered multiple stages of work under the NWPA banner
• Built a high-functioning contractor-client relationship that enhanced delivery performance
• Delivered major rail and station packages on time, with exceptional safety results
• Optimised workforce planning and interface management across a rolling program
• Elevated alliance standing as a trusted partner, leading to additional project awards

The NWPA is a leading example of how Trevor’s ability to win work through strategic alignment, combined with Struan’s operational acumen, can transform a delivery partner into a long-term collaborator.

Their joint impact underlines the HCE Advisory philosophy: win the right work, set the team up for success, and deliver outcomes that go beyond expectations.

This project serves as a blueprint for how HCE supports clients in competitive alliance markets, bridging the gap between positioning, winning, and delivery excellence.

Across Victoria and New South Wales, major freight infrastructure investment has accelerated to support increasing demand for road–rail intermodal connectivity, reduce pressure on urban freight corridors, and modernise Australia's logistics network. These complex projects involve layered interfaces with government, local councils, road and rail regulators, environmental authorities, and major logistics operators.

For two infrastructure and freight businesses, each pursuing the delivery of key intermodal hubs in their respective states, there was a clear need to elevate capability, sharpen strategy, and build confidence across stakeholders.

Trevor Hall was engaged to support strategic investigations and organisational uplift for each business. In both cases, he played a transformational leadership role, helping to reshape internal capability, define delivery strategy, and ensure alignment with the expectations of both infrastructure clients and regulatory stakeholders.

Trevor led structured reviews of operational readiness, market positioning, and stakeholder influence, identifying areas of weakness and implementing targeted improvement plans. His focus was not just on immediate opportunity capture—but on enabling both organisations to operate at the level required to lead complex intermodal infrastructure delivery.

“It wasn’t just about building terminals—it was about building credibility. These businesses needed to step up operationally and strategically to match the complexity of what they were pursuing.”
— Trevor Hall

• Elevating business maturity to meet government and tier, one partner expectations
• Aligning strategy, governance, and delivery models with the scale of proposed infrastructure
• Navigating multiple layers of stakeholder engagement, local government, freight operators, regulators, and planning authorities
• Preparing business cases and positioning documents under tight scrutiny
• Building commercial and delivery credibility to unlock project momentum

• Established clear strategic frameworks for both businesses to pursue intermodal opportunities
• Uplifted operational and commercial readiness to industry, aligned standards
• Developed tailored positioning strategies for engagement with state agencies, investors, and delivery partners
• Reframed internal delivery models to reflect the complexity of multimodal logistics hubs
• Positioned each business to be seen as a credible, capable delivery partner for freight infrastructure projects of state significance

These investigations underscore HCE Advisory’s ability to elevate organisations from aspirational to operationally ready, particularly in the infrastructure and logistics sector. Trevor’s leadership helped both businesses see the bigger picture, align their internal structures, and build a forward, facing delivery identity that matched the ambition of the projects they were pursuing.

Today, this work continues to influence how HCE Advisory supports clients in intermodal, transport logistics, and complex infrastructure positioning, especially where trust, scale, and delivery confidence must be earned.

The Iron Cove Bridge is a historically significant structure on one of Sydney’s busiest urban corridors. The project brief: replace and upgrade the bridge’s dedicated bus lane infrastructure—within a tight 28, day execution window, on a live commuter route, and without compromise to safety, quality, or community impact.

What made this project extraordinary wasn’t the scale, it was the intensity and precision of planning required to ensure success.

As the Project Leader, Trevor Hall was responsible for orchestrating a strategy that placed planning, project controls, and execution certainty at the heart of delivery.

Trevor led a four, month phase of meticulous planning, cross, functional coordination, and pre, emptive problem, solving. The team employed advanced project controls to simulate, monitor, and adapt every stage of procurement, staging, access, workforce sequencing, and progress tracking. The result: flawless delivery within the 28, day construction window, with zero rework and an uplift in profitability for the contractor.

“This wasn’t a job where we could afford to find out on the day. We had to know, ahead of time, where the risks were and what success would look like—every hour of every day.”
— Trevor Hall

• Live, traffic environment with intense community and media interest
• Structurally sensitive heritage bridge with limited access and constrained working hours
• Only 28 days allocated for on, site works, following four months of preparation
• Complex interface between planning, logistics, approvals, and frontline delivery
• Need for full confidence in program performance, resourcing, and sequence optimisation

• Delivered the project safely, on time, and within budget, exceeding client expectations
• Maintained community goodwill and protected the heritage integrity of the bridge
• Enhanced internal company profitability through disciplined preparation and smart execution
• Received the Civil Contractors Federation (CCF) Earth National Award – Best Project Nationally
• Reinforced the contractor’s reputation for high, performance urban infrastructure delivery

This project stands as a masterclass in planning, led execution. Trevor’s leadership ensured that every element—from early design coordination to live site decision, making, was informed by real, time data, team alignment, and course, correction capability.

Today, HCE Advisory continues to embed these principles into its client engagements, elevating project controls and strategic planning as the engine room of exceptional delivery.

Commissioned by the Queensland Government, the Kurilpa Bridge was envisioned as a world, class pedestrian bridge linking Brisbane’s Cultural Precinct at South Bank with the city’s Legal Precinct. Spanning the iconic Brisbane River, the project site carried immense visibility, both physically and politically, serving as a high, profile connection between the electorates of the Premier and Deputy Premier.

The client brief called for an architectural statement that would reinforce Brisbane’s identity as a modern, connected city while delivering functional value for daily commuters, tourists, and community events.

 Under Trevor Hall’s leadership, the business delivered a first in the world hybrid tensegrity structure, an engineering breakthrough never before applied to a pedestrian bridge. The bold solution not only captured the imagination of the community and stakeholders, but also displaced the incumbent frontrunner contractor who had previously delivered a nearby complex pedestrian bridge.

Trevor developed the strategic approach, built political and community confidence, and oversaw delivery to ensure the project was brought in on time and on budget, while re-establishing the contractor as the preferred choice for complex urban infrastructure.

Struan accepted the challenge to take accountability for ensuring the delivery of this project achieved all KPI's including profitability - a feat for a pedestrian bridge

“Kurilpa wasn’t just a bridge—it was a statement of what’s possible when engineering ambition meets delivery discipline.”
— Trevor Hall

• Developing the world’s first tensegrity, inspired pedestrian bridge structure
• Managing complex stakeholder and political relationships across both sides of the river
• Delivering in a high, traffic, high, visibility urban setting with significant public interest
• Integrating aesthetic, structural, and functional requirements under a fixed program      and budget
• Navigating an architectural ambition that required first, principle engineering solutions

• Delivered a 470 m, long bridge, setting a global precedent in structural design
• Recognised with multiple major awards:
  • 🏆 World Transport Building of the Year, World Architecture Festival (2011)
  • 🏆 Australian Engineering Excellence Award, Engineers Australia (2010)
  • 🏆 Professional Infrastructure Award – Civil Infrastructure, AIB National Awards (2011)
• Repositioned the contractor as a leader in visionary, design, led public infrastructure
• Strengthened stakeholder trust across government and community groups
• Created a lasting civic icon that continues to serve and inspire 

 Kurilpa Bridge remains a landmark achievement in urban infrastructure, design innovation, and community placemaking. Trevor’s strategic leadership and delivery foresight ensured the success of a project where creativity, complexity, and visibility were at their highest.

Today, this experience shapes HCE Advisory’s approach to high, profile, politically sensitive, and design, integrated infrastructure delivery, where outcomes must meet both public and legacy expectations.