RoadAid: Here to stay

RoadAid’s work on critical infrastructure marks the next phase of growth for the company, which is now setting its sights on interstate projects. Roads & Infrastructure learns what sets RoadAid’s maintenance and labour hire services apart.

Through its proactive approach and a commitment to nurturing positive on-site culture, RoadAid has built a reputation for quality, trust, and a vision for continued growth into new markets across Australia.

The company’s recent work on a tunnel in Melbourne – one of the state’s most significant transport infrastructure projects – is a standout example.

RoadAid supported a major infrastructure provider with works to replace low-voltage cables on the project.

To minimise impacts on traffic and the local community, works were conducted in a live tunnel environment, with one lane remaining open to traffic. This required flexible crew sizes, with the works being conducted over the course of about eight months.

Safety was the highest priority, requiring an experienced and coordinated maintenance partner capable of maintaining constant oversight and safe worksite parameters.

It was these requirements that led the contractor to RoadAid, as Director Chris Couldrey explains.

“After our Queensland team supported our client on a project and delivered the works safely, without incident, and beyond expectations, our details were shared with the Project Team in Melbourne. They recognised that we provide a reliable and professional service,” Couldrey says.

“Having worked on this asset for over a decade, I was in a unique position to support the project delivery and help answer some of the more technical questions. We’ve got strong expertise, we know the assets, we know how to transit and operate very well. It’s just a smooth process, essentially.”

RoadAid provides project support and skilled labour for major infrastructure projects, with a particular focus on environments like live tunnels and roadways where safety and flexibility are essential.

Its services include supplying EWP (Elevated Work Platform) operators and spotters, Confined Space Spotters, general and skilled labourers, and crews for tasks such as cable upgrades, maintenance works, and other support roles.

A fundamental aspect of its service is safety.

Shannon Tutin, People and Culture Manager – RoadAid explains that safety isn’t just a benefit of service, it’s a factor that’s embedded within the company’s DNA.

“Safety is the core of our operations. Everything we do relies on the safety and wellbeing of our team and those working alongside us,” she says.

“We empower our team to speak up when it comes to safety. We ensure they’re comfortable, confident, and competent with all the plant and infrastructure they’ll be using or spotting.

“We ensure safety is spoken about daily and we are always conducting 360 degree reviews to see where we might be able to improve.”

A number of guiding principles shape every decision and behaviour on site. Thorough risk assessments are conducted, the ground and work environment are continually monitored, and if hazards arise, such as dust or changes in conditions, team members reposition themselves to maintain safety.

Recruitment also plays a part. Every team member is selected not only for their skills but for their safety mindset and cultural fit. Each is trained never to turn their back to traffic, and unsafe conditions are immediately called out and reported, reflecting RoadAid’s strong safety culture and alignment with client expectations.

“Looking back on the work that was completed within the Tunnel, it’s clear that we were able to create a team of like-minded team members who all had a focus on safety that never wavered,” Tutin says.

“We were able to create a team of workers, not just 8-10 individual people doing a task, but a RoadAid team who became a positive extension of the brand that we were aiding,
as well as the project.

“Their pains became our pains, and their wins became our wins. This quantified our ability to seamlessly join a project and other teams to be task focused and motivated.”

It’s Couldrey’s belief that – apart from safety – reliability has become a shining quality that’s leading to RoadAid becoming a preferred provider.

“Our clients can call and say, ‘we need 10 people tomorrow,’ and we make it happen,” he says.

“Within the hour, we can come back with a full list of names, qualifications, and everything needed for permits and access requirements. That reliability is what our clients know us for.”

“We pull everything together,  all the key details, permits, and contacts, so nothing’s left to chance,” he says. “And when it’s a major project, we go further by developing a tailored project plan that maps out the scope of works, key contacts, emergency procedures, and site maps. It means our team walks onsite fully prepared, and our clients know from day one that we’re there to make their project a success.”

This approach, combined with a shared sense of purpose, has seen RoadAid continue to grow steadily, positioning itself for larger and more complex opportunities.

“RoadAid is at a wonderful stage of its journey,” Tutin says.

“Over the past few years, we’ve built our name through word of mouth, strengthened our culture, and stayed true to our vision of safety for all. Now that we’ve established a solid foundation, we’re ready to take on those bigger projects.”

Beyond its project delivery, RoadAid’s leadership is focused on shaping the broader industry culture.

The company has become a corporate member of several professional associations, including NAWIC, and has introduced an internal Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to ensure team members can access support whenever they need it.

“It’s all part of who we are,” Couldrey says. “We’re building a culture that genuinely looks after people, one that challenges the status quo and reflects the change we want to see across the industry.”

A voice for the industry

RoadAid recently teamed up with Idetika to present a paper titled Crisis Readiness: Preparing Motorway Operators for Critical Scenarios at the 2025 ITS Australia Summit on the Gold Coast.

The presentation explored the importance of training motorway control centre operators for low-frequency, high-criticality incidents.

“We introduced the concept of integrating a digital twin into existing Operations Management and Control Systems (OMCS), allowing operators to train for worst-case scenarios at any time of the day,” Couldrey explains.

“This approach not only strengthens operator preparedness but also helps reduce decision-making time during critical incidents. Every second counts in those situations and effective training can make the difference in preventing or minimising secondary incidents.”

“Every second counts in such situations,
and effective training can make the difference in preventing or minimising secondary incidents.”