TSV Strategic Plan 2016 – 2019
Transport Safety Victoria
January 2017
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Transport Safety Victoria
TSV Strategic Plan 2016 – 2019
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TSV Strategic Plan 2016 – 2019
Contents
Director’s note
Who we are
Our organisation
Our Vision
Our role
Our approach
Our Values
Our Strategic Plan 2016-19
Long term outcomes
Three year outlook
Objectives, strategies and priorities
Objective 1: Victorians are aware of transport and boating safety and manage risk proactively.
Objective 2: Duty holders understand their obligations and see safety as a benefit. Where they don’t comply we act.
Objective 3: TSV effectively influences and implements transport safety policy.
Objective 4: Ensure the right people in the right jobs at the right time.
Achieving our outcomes
Director’s note
I am very pleased to release the TSV Strategic Plan for 2016-19. Since my appointment as Safety Director I have been determined to see a Strategic Planning Framework developed to direct all our efforts at TSV.
It can be a difficult thing to develop a strategic framework that everyone - both within TSV and among industry stakeholders and the Victorian public - can use to quickly understand what it is we do and why it is important. I think we have achieved that with this Plan.
Everyone in TSV has readily pitched in and made sure that this is a practical and workable document. One that clearly explains why we exist; how we determine our priorities and allocate our efforts to the highest risk; and how we will measure our effectiveness.
The four key objectives neatly encapsulate our driving goals:
- Victorians are aware of transport and boating safety and manage risk pro-actively.
- Duty holders understand their obligations and see safety as a benefit. Where they do not comply we act.
- TSV effectively influences and implements transport safety policy.
- Ensure the right people in the right jobs at the right time.
Of course the 2016-2019 Plan is not the end of the process: each year, we get to do it all again. The critical importance of transport safety to every Victorian, the ever changing risk profile of the modes we regulate and the need to demonstrate our effectiveness means constant updates are required.
It is a privilege to work for TSV. Our organisation and our jobs have real and important meaning. We directly affect and benefit the lives of millions of people. I think we can take real pride in the fact that everyone of us is contributing to our vision of providing "Safe passenger transport and boating for all Victorians".
David Hourigan
Director, Transport Safety
Who we are
Our organisation
Transport Safety Victoria (TSV) is headed by the Director, Transport Safety (the Safety Director), a statutory office established under Part 7 of the Transport Integration Act 2010 (Vic) (TIA). The Safety Director is appointed by the Governor in Council and reports to the Minister for Public Transport and the Minister for Ports. However, save for limited exceptions, the Safety Director is not subject to ministerial control.
The Safety Director’s primary object is to independently seek the highest transport standards that are reasonably practicable, consistent with the transport system vision and objectives set out in Part 2 of the TIA.
Although the Safety Director is independent, the office falls within the broader transport portfolio and is given critical resourcing and administrative support by the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR).
Our Vision
“Safe passenger transport and boating for all Victorians”
Our role
A safe, efficient and accessible transport system is one of the keys to a liveable and prosperous Victorian community. Transport connects people with each other, with jobs and services, and with social and recreational activities like boating, yachting and other water sports.
The safety performance of Victoria’s transport system is comparatively good. However, rapid population growth and other social and economic changes will continue to increase the system’s exposure to risk.
Investing in transport safety regulation protects the public interest. Poor transport safety outcomes are a significant cost to the community, both in human and economic terms. Serious transport incidents can result in death and injury, robbing families of loved ones and individuals of the freedom to make the most of their lives. Incidents also cause disruption to the transport system’s efficiency and accessibility, preventing the community from connecting to the jobs, activities and markets they depend on.
As an independent regulator, TSV provides assurance that safety risks are being managed effectively, helping maintain public confidence in the transport system.We achieve this by:
Promoting awareness of and informing and educating on transport and maritime safety issues.
Licensing, registering and accrediting operators and other industry participants.
Monitoring operators’ systems for managing safety risks.
Enforcing and ensuring compliance with transport safety legislation.
Providing advice and recommendations to government on transport safety legislation.
Our approach
The aim of our regulatory work is to ensure that safety is considered and managed effectively by everyone involved in transport and boating in Victoria every day. In part, this is achieved through compliance with regulatory obligations. Accordingly, we place a strong focus on facilitating voluntary compliance, by clearly and simply explaining to duty holders what we expect from them. This minimises the compliance burden on responsible operators and allows us to focus on new and emerging risks and the small minority of operators who do not voluntarily comply.
However, ensuring safety requires more than compliance. It requires continuously asking “is this safe?”, not just “is this legal?” We seek to ensure that this question is integrated into the systems, processes and behaviours of everyone involved in transport and boating. Ultimately, our regulatory strategy is aimed at embedding a culture of proactive and effective safety management in transport and boating in Victoria.
This approach is based on recognition that:
- The whole community has an interest in the safety of the transport system.
- A partnership approach is the key to effective transport safety management.
- While we can assist, transport system managers, operators and users will often be best placed to identify hazards and manage risk.
Our Values
Responsiveness / Provide frank, impartial and timely advice to the governmentProvide high quality services to the Victorian community
Identify and promote best practice
Integrity / Being honest, open and transparent in my dealings
Use powers responsibly
Report improper conduct
Avoid any real or apparent conflicts of interest
Strive to earn and sustain public trust of a high level
Impartiality / Make decisions and provide advice on merit and without bias, favouritism or self-interest
Act fairly by objectively considering all relevant facts and fair criteria
Implement government policies and programs equitably
Accountability / Work to clear objectives in a transparent manner
Accept responsibility for my decisions and actions
Seek to achieve best use of resources
Submit to appropriate scrutiny
Respect / Treat colleagues, other public officials, Victorian community members fairly and objectively
Ensure freedom from discrimination, harassment and bullying
Use the views of colleagues, other public officials, Victorian community members to improve outcomes on an ongoing basis
Leadership / Demonstrate leadership by actively implementing, promoting and supporting the agreed values and supporting behaviours
Human rights / Make decisions and provide advice consistent with human rights
Actively implement, promote and support human rights
Our Strategic Plan 2016-19
This plan will guide our work for the next three years. It sets out our target long term outcomes and the objectives, strategies, priorities and actions we will undertake to achieve those outcomes. Our strategic plan is supported by branch level action plans and business unit work programs, which set out key deliverables and performance indicators, all of which are updated annually.
Long term outcomes
TSV’s strategic plan aims to achieve four long term outcomes. The four outcomes encompass all components of the use of transport in Victoria, including the individuals who use transport, the vehicles and equipment that the individuals use, the behaviours and systems behind the operation of those vehicles and the physical world that the vehicles travel in. Improved safety across these components will deliver on TSV’s vision.
The four outcomes are outlined below.
We will achieve these outcomes by implementing the strategies outlined in this strategic plan. The strategies and their respective priorities and actions are outlined over the following pages. At the end of this document, we outline how the strategies align with these outcomes.
Three year outlook
Victoria’s transport system and marine environment face challenges in both the short and longer terms.
The task of our transport system is growing, increasing its risk exposure.Population growth, aging, inner urban densification and the transition to a service economy are just some of the drivers of pressure on the network. Managing increased patronage safely will require strategic planning and prioritisation, and the vigilance of all stakeholders. Government has also responded to increasing demand with a number of major infrastructure projects that will help the system grow. However, these projects bring risks of their own, which require strong stewardship and independent safety assurance.
In our maritime environment, increasing use, competing demands and resourcing constraints are creating pressure on TSV and other stakeholders, in particular the many waterway managers appointed under the Marine Safety Act 2010. The 2014 Auditor General’s audit of recreational maritime safety highlighted the need for increased investment, greater coordination and expanded regulatory effort to ensure that risks to safety on Victorian waterways are being managed effectively. TSV has responded by increasing its focus on waterway safety and this will remain a key priority for the life of this plan. Similarly, significant growth in the use of non-powered craft, in particular paddle craft, has demanded greater regulatory oversight and this will remain a major focus.
TSV will also continue to play a key role in the ongoing implementation of the national rail and commercial maritime safety regulatory schemes. As the primary delegate agency for both schemes, TSV delivers operational regulatory services on behalf of the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) respectively. It is anticipated that both schemes will transition to direct service delivery in coming years and much of this will occur over the life of this plan. TSV will continue to support ONRSR and AMSA and seek to ensure continual safety improvement in Victoria’s rail and commercial maritime sectors.
Technological developments will have a significant impact on society, government and the transport system in coming years and offers crucial opportunities to agencies like TSV. Expanding, refining and targeting safety messaging through ICT has the potential to deliver enhanced ‘value add’ in terms of driving behaviour change. Similarly, building data gathering and analysis capability has the potential to more finely focus on risk and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of regulatory intervention. At the same time, driverless vehicles, vessels and rolling stock will present both opportunities and challenges for TSV. Long standing risk around human error may be reduced, but new risks will emerge.
These combined forces will require us to be analytical, responsive and agile in our regulatory work. Given the resourcing environment all agencies operate in, we will need to plan and prioritise carefully to ensure we are working on the right problems in the right way and achieving results that support our long term outcomes.
Objectives, strategies and priorities
To support achievement of our long term outcomes, this plan is built on four strategic objectives, each of which is supported by strategies, priorities and actions:
Strategy 1.1 Raise community awarenessof transport and boating safety and educate transport users and boaters about better ways to manage safety risks
Priority: Establish an understanding of the level of community awareness of transport safety risks by:
Undertaking research into the level of community awareness of safety
Developing communication strategies to raise community awareness
Priority:Educate transport users and boaters about better ways to manage safety risks by:
Educatingboaters about how to best prepare for boating trips and remain safe when boating
Raising awareness about how to remain safe on public transport and safe on the water
Priority:Drive safer behaviour by:
Developing and implementinginnovative approaches to educating boaters and transport users
Measures and milestones
Victorians are aware of transport and boating safety and manage risk proactively / Measurable improvement in transport and boating safety and the management of risks by duty holders /- Baseline community awareness ascertained
- Downward trend over 5 year average in the incidents that relate to targeted campaigns/areas
- Implementation of Boating Information Integration Project
Strategy 2.1Drive greater voluntary compliance across the transport and maritime sectors
Priority:Ensureduty holdersunderstand their regulatory obligations by:
Developing and maintaining compliance standards
Developing and disseminating guidance material to duty holders, prioritising high risk activities and sectors
Priority: Assist duty holders to comply with their regulatory obligations by:
Providing targeted compliance advice on emerging risks
Undertaking safety and compliance audits across all modes
Promoting continuous improvement in safety management
Strategy 2.2 Focus regulatory effort on risk
Priority: Target compliance and enforcement to high risk duty holders by:
Undertaking systemic analysis across all transport modes to identify and assess risks to safety
Using risk analysis to inform the design of compliance activities
Delivering risk-based compliance and enforcement programs
Ensuring effective regulatory oversight of large, complex or high risk transport operations
Targeting enforcement action to breaches in high or emerging risk sectors
Strategy 2.3 Partner to achieve improved safety outcomes
Priority: Co-ordinatesafetypriorities with partners by:
Maintaining relationships with current partners and identifying new partners with shared interests in safety
Establishing frameworks to agree mutual safety priorities
Supporting partners to achieve mutual safety outcomes
Priority: Leverage external capacity and capability by:
Identifying and engaging with potential regulatory service delivery partners
Establishing agreements to support external regulatory service delivery
Building the competence and capacity of service delivery partners
Measures and milestones
Duty holders understand their obligations and see safety as a benefit. Where they don’t comply we act. / Measureable improvement in duty holder understanding and compliance with transport safety and boating acts /- Downward trend in non-compliance over 5 year average
- Upward trend in safety maturity of duty holders over 5 yearaverage
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TSV Strategic Plan 2016 – 2019
Strategy 3.1 Engage with stakeholders
Priority: Develop and implement an organisational stakeholder engagement framework by:
Developing a TSV-wide framework for stakeholder engagement and management
Identifying priority stakeholders for engagement
Implementing engagement framework
Strategy 3.2Become an intelligence hub
Priority: Gather and share more information by:
Working with key stakeholders to capture and analyse more data sources
Developing and implementing a research strategy to inform regulatory policy
Promoting intelligence, data and research sharing among partners
Strategy 3.3Establish strategic leadership in transport safety
Priority: Proactively contribute to transport safety regulatory reform by:
Building an evidence base for identifying regulatory reform opportunities
Developing evidence-based policy proposals for regulatory reform
Priority: Promote our safety achievements
Building our profile as a centre for regulatory excellence and as a best practice safety regulator
Highlighting the increasing safety outcomes of our work
Strategy3.4Effectively implement government policy
Priority: Support national transport reform by:
Supporting transition to national domestic commercial vessel and rail safety schemes
Priority:Support whole of government policy and initiatives by:
Implementing Marine Search and Rescue (MSAR) reforms
Supporting the establishment of Service Victoria
Supporting red tape reduction initiatives
Minimising regulatory burden
Priority: Implement transport portfolio policy and initiatives by:
Fulfilling marine casualty response responsibilities
Improving Marine Distress Emergency Monitoring Service (MDEMS)
Fulfilling waterway management responsibilities
Measures and milestones
TSV effectively influences and implements transport safety policy / Measurable improvement in stakeholder engagement and impact on transport safety policy /- Stakeholder engagement framework implemented
- Publication of Annual Safety Report
- Implementation of national domestic commercial vessel and rail safety schemes
- Timely advice to government on strategic transport safety issues
Strategy 4.1 Ensure resources are allocated to optimise regulatory outcomes
Priority:Adopt best practice strategic planning processes by:
Developing a revised strategic planning framework
Implementing revised strategic planning framework
Evaluating strategic planning framework
Priority:Drive organisational transformation by:
Developing and implementing an organisational transformation and communication strategy