Horizons by RAC Podcast

Perth has recently been recognised as one of the World's Top 20 Most Liveable Cities. But what does "liveability" actually mean, and what would it take for Perth to become one of the very best places in the world to live? This episode explores the relationship between urban planning, transport, housing and community, examining how cities are designed for people to move, connect and thrive. Rather than simply celebrating a ranking, the conversation asks whether Perth should be chasing a #1 title or focusing on becoming the best possible city for the people who call it home. Host: Ruth CallaghanGuests: Alix Oaks - RAC Manager Transport Planning & Policy / Cameron Lecky - Founder / Director at Rise Urban and State President of the Planning Institute of Australia (WA).Chapters: (0:00) Perth's liveability and what it takes to climb the rankings(1:17) Perth ranked 20th on Monocle's 2026 Quality of Life Survey(1:54) What the Monocle list actually measures (4:00) Perth vs Copenhagen(6:27) Policy priorities (7:50) Connecting Perth to its waterways (10:41) The Monocle criteria up close(13:33) Perth's identity. Free beaches, and what makes the city unique(16:23) Equity in liveability: well-served suburbs vs. newer areas left behind(17:43) Public transport gaps: cross-city connections and the chicken-and-egg problem(22:37) What's holding Perth back?(26:36) Perth on the world stage. Selling the city, Fremantle's lessons, and the road to the top 10Subscribe and share:  If you liked this episode, subscribe to RAC’s Horizons podcast and share it with your friends and family.     Find us online:Website: ⁠https://rac.com.au/horizons⁠   YouTube: ⁠/@horizonsrac⁠  Instagram: www.instagram.com/racwa   Facebook: www.facebook.com/racwa  

After receiving heart breaking life-changing news, Nick and Lindall made the decision to stop waiting for "one day" and start living their dream today. Leaving behind careers as an electrician and a school teacher, this young couple are embarking on a lap of Australia with their Troopy and beloved red heeler, Sam. Their mission is simple - to inspire others to embrace the present and 'live the dream' in their own way. In this episode, host Myke Bartlett sits down to discuss the leap of faith that took this young couple from secure careers to life on the road, sharing the highs and lows of off-road and off-grid travel.Follow their journey:@livingthedream.waChapters:0:00 Intro 1:56 Life Before the Troopy 4:38 Deciding to Take the Leap 5:23 Losing Mum & Finding Clarity 8:13 Choosing the Road Over a House 10:52 Overcoming Obstacles & Uncertainty 12:36 Family, Friends & Finding Their Why 14:57 Choosing the Troopy 16:45 Affording the Dream: Money, Inheritance & Upfront Costs 20:12 Building the Rig: DIY Mods, Skills & Gear 26:34 Planning the Route: Winging It vs Planning 29:53 Building "Living the Dream" Online 36:35 Life on the Road with Sam 40:26 Training Sam for the Big Lap 45:47 Their Dream Day 48:31 Advice for Anyone Waiting for the Right Time 50:50 Final ThoughtsSubscribe and share:  If you liked this episode, subscribe to RAC’s Horizons podcast and share it with your friends and family.     Find us online:Website: ⁠https://rac.com.au/horizons⁠   YouTube: ⁠/@horizonsrac⁠  Instagram: www.instagram.com/racwa   Facebook: www.facebook.com/racwa   Legal disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are those of the individuals involved and may not be shared by the Royal Automobile Club of WA (Inc) or its related bodies corporate (together “RAC”) or any of its or their councillors, directors or employees.  This podcast is for general information and entertainment purposes only.  Listeners should not rely on the content as a substitute for independent advice.  References to a product should not be construed as an endorsement by RAC.  RAC accepts no liability for any reliance placed on the content.

If you’ve ever wondered why traffic lights change the way they do - or why freeway speeds suddenly drop - this episode breaks down what’s really happening on our WA roads.Ruth Callaghan speaks with Scott Fennelly from Main Roads WA about the intelligent transport systems (ITS) working behind the scenes 24/7 to keep people and freight moving safely and efficiently across the network.From Smart Freeways and ramp signals to real-time traffic management, data, AI, and emerging connected vehicle technology, Scott explains how Main Roads WA monitors the road network, responds to incidents as they happen, and works continuously to reduce congestion across Perth and beyond.Chapters: (0:00) What intelligent transport systems really are(1:47) Scott Fennelly, Main Roads WA(2:46) Inside the Road Network Operations Centre (5:38) How ITS tackles congestion. Smart freeways and ramp metering explained(7:00) Beyond traffic control(9:29) Why drivers feel frustrated and how in-car connected alerts will change that(12:02) How signal priority cuts fuel use and emissions(14:10) AI and machine learning. Predicting incidents before they happen(17:08) How Main Roads built its own real-time platform(21:13) What a smart freeway actually does(24:29) The ITS Master Plan(27:53) Real-world impact(29:42) Managing a road network the size of a third of Europe(31:24) 100 years of Main Roads Subscribe and share:  If you liked this episode, subscribe to RAC’s Horizons podcast and share it with your friends and family.     Find us online: Website: ⁠https://rac.com.au/horizons⁠   YouTube: ⁠/@horizonsrac⁠  Instagram: www.instagram.com/racwa   Facebook: www.facebook.com/racwa   Legal disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are those of the individuals involved and may not be shared by the Royal Automobile Club of WA (Inc) or its related bodies corporate (together “RAC”) or any of its or their councillors, directors or employees.  This podcast is for general information and entertainment purposes only.  Listeners should not rely on the content as a substitute for independent advice.  References to a product should not be construed as an endorsement by RAC.  RAC accepts no liability for any reliance placed on the content.

In this episode, Ruth Callaghan speaks with Carla Hoorweg from ANCAP SAFETY about the rise of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), including autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver-monitoring technologies. The conversation explores driver experiences with systems such as Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), lane support, blind-spot monitoring, and driver-monitoring technology. Carla discusses common concerns around false alerts, intrusive interventions, and driver frustration, while explaining the role of ANCAP and how ANCAP gathers consumer feedback and works with manufacturers to improve system performance and usability.Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:15 What are Active Driver Assist Systems (ADAS)?02:44 From ABS to AEB: how safety tech became seamless05:10 Driver monitoring and attention detection06:21 The learning curve for drivers and the role of dealerships08:48 Blind spot monitoring and the path to autonomous vehicles13:10 The role of ANCAP and the star rating system15:48 Setting guardrails for manufacturers16:47 The four new assessment pillars22:14 Post-crash safety: the golden hour, eCall and rescue24:49 Buttons vs touchscreens: usability and access26:43 How the points and star ratings work27:41 Divisive systems and false positives28:23 Consumer feedback reshaping the protocols30:47 What autonomous emergency braking feels like33:29 Poorly tuned systems and what drivers can do34:36 Balancing driver control and safety37:59 The road to self-driving cars38:58 Liability, regulation and consumer trust40:06 ClosingSubscribe and share:  If you liked this episode, subscribe to RAC’s Horizons podcast and share it with your friends and family.     Find us online:Website: ⁠https://rac.com.au/horizons⁠   YouTube: ⁠/@horizonsrac⁠  Instagram: www.instagram.com/racwa   Facebook: www.facebook.com/racwa   Legal disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are those of the individuals involved and may not be shared by the Royal Automobile Club of WA (Inc) or its related bodies corporate (together “RAC”) or any of its or their councillors, directors or employees.  This podcast is for general information and entertainment purposes only.  Listeners should not rely on the content as a substitute for independent advice.  References to a product should not be construed as an endorsement by RAC.  RAC accepts no liability for any reliance placed on the content.

Does reducing a speed limit by just 10km/h really make a difference?When WA reduced local street speed limits from 60km/h to 50km/h in 2001, pedestrian crashes in Perth fell dramatically. Now, as more councils consider 40km/h limits on local roads, the debate around safer speeds is back in focus.In this episode, David Elston (RAC Manager Road Safety Policy) and Tim Judd (PJA Road Safety Engineer & Strategic Transport Planner) discuss the science of speed, crash survivability, common myths about lower speed limits, Perth's Inner City Safer Speed Zone Project, and the broader benefits slower speeds can bring to neighbourhoods and activity centres.Chapters:(00:00) Introduction, WA's road safety problem and fatality statistics(01:16) Guest introductions, Tim Judd  and David Elston (02:00) City of Vincent as the first inner-city council to trial 40km/h(02:40) COVID's unexpected role in extending the North Perth speed trial(04:15) How speed reduction improves road safety(06:00) Stopping distances compared, 50km/h vs 40km/h(07:00) Kinetic energy explained, why speed has an outsized impact on survival(07:40) Pedestrian survival rates at 50km/h vs 40km/h vs 30km/h(09:10) Research into survivability across different crash types(11:15) 10km/h speed reduction linked to 30% fewer deaths and serious injuries(12:25) Benefits beyond safety, noise, amenity, and community liveability(14:45) The piecemeal problem, why network-wide limits are more effective(25:40) The Margaret River Safer Speeds trial explained(29:05) Perth inner-city councils expected to adopt 40km/h permanently(33:20) What success looks like, kids walking to school, al fresco dining, liveable streetsSubscribe and share:  If you liked this episode, subscribe to RAC’s Horizons podcast and share it with your friends and family.     Find us online:Website: ⁠https://rac.com.au/horizons⁠   YouTube: ⁠/@horizonsrac⁠  Instagram: www.instagram.com/racwa   Facebook: www.facebook.com/racwa   Legal disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are those of the individuals involved and may not be shared by the Royal Automobile Club of WA (Inc) or its related bodies corporate (together “RAC”) or any of its or their councillors, directors or employees.  This podcast is for general information and entertainment purposes only.  Listeners should not rely on the content as a substitute for independent advice.  References to a product should not be construed as an endorsement by RAC.  RAC accepts no liability for any reliance placed on the content.