Annual Report

It is my pleasure to present the Department of Transport’s Annual Report 2019-20.

The 2019-20 financial year has been one quite unlike any other. The COVID-19 pandemic presented the world with a unique and pressing challenge in cooperation, adaptability and resilience. The situation evolved rapidly; in February, 168 leaders from across the Transport Portfolio came together at the 2020 Portfolio Leadership Forum. As one extended team, we identified opportunities to improve transport outcomes for the State. This forum ensured the Portfolio was well-positioned to support the State with its economic recovery. In early March, the Transport Portfolio supported Perth Festival and other government agencies in staging the successful Highway to Hell AC/DC tribute concert, attended by more than 150,000 people. Only weeks later, Western Australia closed its borders to international and interstate visitors, people were asked to avoid leaving their homes, and entire industries were forced to close. 

Yet, in this time of adversity, Western Australians banded together and adhered to strict hygiene and social distancing regulations. This enabled the State to navigate through the pandemic and relax its COVID-19 restrictions sooner than most other places in Australia, and indeed, the world. I have felt a sense of pride and gratitude to be a Western Australian during this time.