About the Suburban Rail Loop Authority

Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA) is responsible for planning and delivering Suburban Rail Loop (SRL), the largest infrastructure project in Victoria’s history and the state’s biggest investment in transport and precinct development.

SRL will generate up to $58.7 billion in economic, social and environmental benefits – generating a pipeline of work and economic stimulus and supporting up to 24,000 jobs across the state.

SRLA was established in September 2019, and became a statutory authority in December 2021, governed by the Suburban Rail Loop Act 2021.

What we do

SRL is a multi-generational project delivering a 90km orbital rail loop and planning and projects in associated precincts through Melbourne’s middle suburbs from Cheltenham to Werribee. The scale and complexity of SRL requires a long term, coordinated approach to achieve the very best outcomes for Victorians.

While SRL East from Cheltenham to Box Hill is the immediate focus for SRLA, early planning and development on SRL North and SRL West continues, with opportunities for construction to start while SRL East is being delivered. SRL North will be complete by 2053.

The Suburban Rail Loop Act 2021 provides consistent planning and certainty across the large project area. The legislation outlines the functions, powers and governance arrangements of SRLA, bringing together all aspects of SRL and providing the tools required to plan, procure and deliver this transformative project.

SRL passes through multiple local government areas, each with their own approach to precinct planning. To enable a clear, coordinated planning process and streamline delivery of works, SRLA is a planning authority for declared SRL precinct planning areas around each SRL station, along with local councils, which remain the municipal planning authority.

SRLA Board

Board role and function

SRLA is a statutory authority with a governing board. The Board is responsible for the management and affairs of SRLA, in particular setting the organisation’s strategic direction and priorities within the context of the Suburban Rail Loop Act 2021 and government policy.

Board members

James Merlino, Chair

James Merlino brings extensive experience in infrastructure construction and commercial contract management to his role as Chair. James served as Victoria’s Deputy Premier from 2014 to 2022 and has held a number of key Ministerial portfolios including in Education, Mental Health, Police and Emergency Services. He is also an Independent Chair and Director of Australian superannuation fund, Rest, and Director of the Hawthorn Football Club.

Christine Wyatt, Deputy Chair

Christine Wyatt is Deputy Chair of the SRLA Board with substantial private sector and government executive leadership experience in urban strategy, infrastructure delivery and governance. Christine is a former Deputy Secretary of Planning at the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, and Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure. She has served as an independent director of Places Victoria, Development Victoria and the Victorian Planning and Environmental Law Association.

James MacKenzie

James MacKenzie is a highly experienced Australian company director and chartered accountant. He currently serves on the SRLA Board, and a number of other boards including the Victorian Funds Management Corporation, Development Victoria and Slater + Gordon. He formerly served on the boards of the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and Worksafe Victoria, and is a Member of the MCG Trust. In 2001, James was awarded the Centenary Medal for services to Public Administration.

Paul Barker

Paul Barker is a financial and professional services specialist with extensive experience at Board, committee and executive level in Australia and internationally. Paul is also a Trustee of Arts Centre Melbourne, Member of the Interim Melbourne Arts Precinct Board, Non-Executive Director of Fed Square, and has previously served as Chair of Cricket Australia, WorkSafe and Mirvac.

Ben Hubbard

Ben Hubbard has worked in complex policy and political environments with experience across public affairs, public policy, public administration, governance, risk, strategy and disaster recovery. Ben’s previous roles include Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, CEO of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority, Chief of Staff to the Deputy PM and Minister for Education and Workplace Relations, and Senior Political Adviser to the Victorian Premier.

Sally Freeman

Sally Freeman is an experienced non-executive director with a proven ability in risk management, financial and internal audit, board governance and compliance. She also holds Board roles at Melbourne Football Club, Netwealth, Eastern Health and Regional Investment Corporation, and is an Audit Committee Member of Commonwealth Games Australia. She has previously been a partner at Ernst & Young and KPMG.

Megan Bourke-O’Neil

Meg Bourke-O’Neil brings extensive transport and public sector experience to the SRLA Board, including in strategy development, policy and planning, commercial transactions, transport operations, regulatory reform and leadership. Meg’s career spans not for profit, and public and private sectors, starting in social services and for the past 13 years in transport. Meg is a current Director of Ports Victoria and most recently served as a Deputy Secretary in transport for both Victoria and NSW. She is the former Chair of Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria, overseeing the taxi and ridesharing industry, and former Deputy Chair of UITPANZ (now the Australia and New Zealand Public Transport Association).

Download the SRLA Board Conflict of Interest Procedure (PDF 311KB)

About the Suburban Rail Loop Authority

What we do

SRLA Board

Board role and function

Board members

Policies and disclosures