ERA was engaged by Burbury Consulting engineers to assist with engagement on the Great Eastern Drive road upgrade project for the Department of State Growth, undertaking both stakeholder engagement and planning work.

This project involves the upgrade of up to 30 sites along the Great Eastern Drive between Orford and St Helens. The project broadly was developed to boost regional tourism and improve safety in an area with increasing visitor numbers. The works involve sealing pull-off bays and improving intersections into sites such as beaches, vineyards and other tourism interest spots.

The project followed a separate Great Eastern Drive study undertaken by a different business, which was completed in early 2019. It identified 67 sites, which were further narrowed down to 30 sites through a multi-criteria analysis. While some of the work had been done to identify suitable projects, it highlighted the importance of good community engagement at the earliest possible stage. When further work began on the 30 sites and key stakeholders were contacted, it became clear that some of the sites were inappropriate for development from a safety perspective, or from the perspective of introducing tourism to areas that are not suitable for high visitation numbers.

The outcome of engaging early with stakeholders proved favourable for the client, as relationships established continued through the three phases of the project and resulted in better outcomes. One outcome was the client decided not to develop certain sites based on the advice received, thus saving money and reducing conflicts and safety concerns in the future.

All stages of this project have now concluded and the majority of the works are complete.