A childhood obsession with how bridges and buildings are built, a love of designing ‘gadgets’ his grandfather would then make, and a flair for maths and science were the tell-tale signs Peter Fillis was destined for a career in civil engineering…and ultimately a role as Delivery Manager on the METRONET Denny Avenue and Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal projects.

“As a child I would have been fascinated by the complex METRONET rail infrastructure projects. I’m now lucky to be working on the Denny Avenue and Victoria Park-Canning projects that offer so much diversity with elements like rail, road and utilities and multiple stakeholders,” Peter said.

“I love the problem-solving aspect of the job and the satisfaction of working collaboratively with project teams in challenging situations to figure out how to fit a square peg in a round hole.”

“It’s a balancing act juggling the different and complex pieces of the puzzle and making them fit, but this also makes it very rewarding,” he said.

Peter attributes strong leadership, big picture vision and providing guidance to his team as key to managing this complexity but highlights it’s also essential to learn from others and let them lead with their expert skills and knowledge.

When asked if he would encourage others to seek a career in the rail industry, his answer is ‘who doesn’t want to play with trains.’

“METRONET has played a big part in my career by providing multiple opportunities and these rail infrastructure projects are a once in a lifetime change for public transport in Perth, which I’m very excited to be a part of,” Peter said.

“With our population and urban density increasing, and the need to be more environmentally conscious, better public transport solutions are essential. Sustainability is one of my core values and as Delivery Manager on these projects, I feel I can influence change in a small way by helping to build a rail network that will change behaviours around the use of public transport while also building better communities.”