Sydney Metro executive Tim Parker will lead the agency working on high-speed rail between Newcastle and Sydney.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King announced on Thursday that Mr Parker would be the inaugural chief executive officer of the High Speed Rail Authority.
The government appointed the HSRA board in the middle of last year but came under political pressure in December over the six-month delay in appointing a CEO.
Mr Parker has been head of project delivery at Sydney Metro since 2020, overseeing a portfolio of projects City and Southwest Metro, West Metro and Greater West Metro.
In the preceding 10 years he was principal at infrastructure consultancy Up Advisory Services, including 20 months as project director of the NorthConnex motorway project from 2013 to 2015.
The federal government has committed $500 million for planning and "corridor works" on a high-speed rail network on Australia's east coast, starting with the Sydney to Newcastle section.
Ms King said in Newcastle in July that the project would be "transformational" for the Hunter economy.
The Newcastle Herald reported last week that the HSRA was working towards preparing a business case for the Sydney-Newcastle line by 2026.
Michael Parris
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
