Transport industry leader Peter Bentley has received the ITS Australia Max Lay Achievement Award for his broad and impactful contribution to the nation's ITS industry.
The award is named in honour of Dr Maxwell Lay, an Australian pioneer and ITS researcher, engineer, project implementer and passionate advocate for the advancement of ITS.
ITS Australia says Bentley has meaningfully contributed to the success of a diverse range of companies in the transportation, infrastructure and defence sectors throughout his more than 45-year career.
ITS Australia president Dean Zabrieszach says: “For more than 30 years, Peter has been a highly engaged participant in Australia’s ITS industry. Peter is a motivational leader and is highly regarded for his strong business ethics and for setting a high benchmark for personal credibility and integrity in the transport industry. Peter is a very worthy recipient of the Max Lay Award, and I congratulate him on behalf of ITS Australia.”
Before his retirement in June 2021, Bentley was MD of Collaborative ITS Consultancy Australia (Cica Group).
There, Bentley was strategic tolling and operations & maintenance (O&M) specialist for the development of the tolling and O&M strategy for the specification and procurement of the $16 billion North-East Link Project.
He also served as principal consultant to NSW Roads & Maritime Services as project director of its $54 million Tolling Systems Upgrade Program.
Bentley served as president of ITS Australia from 2004–2008 and sat on the board of directors from 2001–2010.
He was a key participant in conceiving and delivering the inaugural NeTC (National Electronic Tolling Committee) Industry Forum, held in 2006.
The Forum emerged from the tolling industry’s engagement and collaboration to achieve a nationally uniform approach to interoperable free-flow electronic tolling in the 1990s. Bentley was a long-time participant in NeTC and served as chairman of the Australian National Toll Road Operators Association, which represents all of the operating toll roads in Australia and ensures national interoperability in tolling across Australia.
Cica Group chairman Brian Negus says: “As president of ITS Australia, Peter served with distinction, helped establish countless initiatives, and worked tirelessly to grow and elevate the association. Peter was instrumental in establishing the Australian National Toll Road Operators Association, with a focus to ensure national interoperability in tolling across Australia. All of us at ITS Australia owe a great debt of gratitude to Peter.”
From 2012-2013, Bentley served with Brisbane City Council, providing governance and advisory services to the transaction manager for the Councils Legacy Way Project Tolling Capability procurement.
From 2010-2011, he provided due diligence on the Queensland Motorways operations, including its tolling road-side system, tolling central system, and ITS for Queensland Investment Corporation. In 2011, Bentley assisted the transition process on behalf of Queensland Motorways. This role also saw him deliver a Tolling Strategic Review Project Plan for the acting CEO and provide post purchase provision of analysis and comments on board papers for new directors. Following that, he worked with the Brisbane Airports Corporation to prepare the documentation necessary for a request for proposal to procure a new Taxi Access Fee Collection System for Brisbane Airport.
From 2004–2010, Bentley served as chief operating officer of ConnectEast. He was responsible for all operational aspects of the EastLink Concession with the State Government of Victoria, including road operations and asset management, customer operations, enforcement and business information services. He was a crucial player in the inception and delivery of EastLink. The seven years he spent with the organisation included the tender response, construction and the first two years of operations. This period included the delivery of all the tunnel mechanical and electrical systems and its ITS systems.
The Max Lay Award will be presented to Bentley at the ITS Australia Awards 2021, which will be held in Melbourne on 17 February 2022.
Bentley was a key participant in conceiving and delivering the inaugural NeTC (National Electronic Tolling Committee) Industry Forum (image credit: Cica Group)
