Parramatta Light Rail, Third Party Agreements

The Parramatta Light Rail (PLR) supports growth and renewal in Western Sydney by bringing destinations and precincts in Greater Parramatta closer together.

Stage 1 connects Westmead to Carlingford via the Parramatta CBD and Camellia, with a two-way track spanning 12km. The route is expected to open in 2024 and will link Parramatta’s CBD and train station to:

• Westmead Health Precinct
• Parramatta North Urban Transformation Program
• the new Western Sydney Stadium
• the Camellia Precinct
• the relocated Powerhouse Museum
• Telopea private and social housing redevelopment
• Rosehill Racecourse
• 3 Western Sydney University campuses.

TSA Riley was engaged by Transport for NSW (TfNSW) to provide commercial advisory services including:

• interface management services for the procurement of utility and third-party agreements
• procurement assistance during the development phase, incorporating third-party requirements into procurement documents.

We brought a mix of senior-level experience to this vital role for PLR, combining large project planning, property understanding and negotiation skills.

The TSA Riley team worked to capture all third-party requirements into the various delivery contracts. This involved negotiating and documenting detailed agreements with key stakeholders, including the City of Parramatta Council, NSW Health, Urban Growth NSW, Land and Housing Corporation, Roads and Maritime Services (RMS), Sydney Trains, Australian Turf Club and affected utility providers.

Negotiating third-party agreements for complex linear projects such as a light rail requires significant agility and adaptability. Rather than bring a ‘boilerplate’ solution to this role, our team worked closely with TfNSW and stakeholders to distil project issues into manageable agreement structures. A continuous feedback and approval loop was developed to expedite agreements while ensuring the team worked within approved parameters.

A major achievement for the project was securing design approvals from the City of Parramatta Council. The TSA Riley team developed a staged approval structure that secured the necessary agreements with the council while providing latitude for ongoing innovation and improvements.