James Tonkin
The Metro Tunnel Project: Freeing up Melbourne's biggest bottleneck
The Melbourne Metro Rail Authority (MMRA) is responsible for the delivery of the Melbourne Metro Rail Project - a twin 9km rail tunnel under the heart of Melbourne. This $9-11 billion infrastructure project will unlock rail congestion in the City Loop and deliver a transformation to the capacity, reliability and frequency of train services across metropolitan Melbourne. Melbourne Metro will run between South Kensington and South Yarra, including five new underground stations at North Melbourne, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall and ANZAC.
James has more than 30 years’ experience in media, strategic communications and stakeholder relations across the private and public sectors. He started his career as a newspaper journalist, working in Australia and London, before becoming a media and policy adviser for the Victorian Government in the early 1990s. James then moved into a number of roles in issues-rich and complex environments, including at Victoria Police, the EastLink Project, and most recently the AFL, where he led corporate communications.
As Director, Communications and Stakeholder Relations for the Metro Tunnel Project, James oversees stakeholder and community engagement for this massive public transport infrastructure project. He is also responsible for media relations and raising public awareness about both the disruptions that will accompany construction and the long term transport, social and economic benefits that will ultimately be delivered.
For more infomation, see http://metrotunnel.vic.gov.au/
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