The 2025 NTRO International Technical Conference in Melbourne culminated with the prestigious National Transport Research Awards and Gala at the State Library Victoria, bringing together industry leaders to celebrate excellence in transport innovation.
Sally Stannard, Director General of Department of Transport and Main Roads, was guest speaker at the Gala and Awards, which was made possible through major sponsorship from DT Infrastructure.
The Research Rising Star Award recognised Dr. Thanh Vinh Le from Monash University for significant progress in addressing transportation challenges, with Dr. Leo Yu from Monash University and Dr. Suthakaran Siva from NTRO receiving Highly Commended acknowledgments.
The Transport Resilience Award went to the National Level Crossing Safety Committee for the Vision Zero project, focused on improving safety around level crossings across Australia and New Zealand. Committee chair Sally Stannard accepted the award on behalf of the committee.
Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads deputy chief engineer Stephen Mallows and fellow National Asset Centre of Excellence (NACOE) board member Dr. Richard Yeo accepted the Decarbonised Infrastructure Award, recognizing NACOE's substantial contributions to reducing carbon footprints in Queensland transport.
The Department of State Growth (Tasmania) received the Connecting Communities Award for their C-ITS Trial enhancing safety for vulnerable road users in school zones, demonstrating effective collaboration in creating innovative transport solutions.
A highlight of the evening was the Lifetime Contribution Award presented to Tyrone Toole from NTRO, honouring his 40-year career in transport asset management and the respect he has earned throughout the industry.
NTRO's data reform team, led by Russell Gallagher, received a special award for developing groundbreaking technology behind NTRO's survey vehicles, including the iPAVE (Intelligent Pavement Assessment Vehicle). This innovation enables transport agencies to collect and analyse road and pavement data with unprecedented efficiency.
The celebration continued into the night with MCs Nipuni Ranasinghe and Patrick Wilton guiding attendees through transport's night of recognition at the iconic State Library Victoria.
This awards ceremony capped off an amazing week at the NTRO International Technical Conference that featured more than 50 speakers across multiple sessions exploring the transport revolution and the future of mobility in Australia, New Zealand, and around the world.
