When Navlika Mooloo joined UGL’s rail and technology systems (RTS) team in March 2023, the environment team was in a rapid growth phase. She stepped into a critical role on the Radio Systems Replacement (RSR) project in Western Australia — a transformative infrastructure upgrade spanning more than 270 kilometres of the Public Transport Authority (PTA) metropolitan rail network.
As one of UGL’s largest rollouts for the PTA, the project is laying the foundation for a safer, more efficient and future-ready rail system across Perth.
“From day one, I knew this role would be both complex and challenging,” shares Navlika. “We’re delivering 114 sites across the Perth metro area, from north to south metro — each with its own environmental considerations.”
As the environmental advisor on the project, Navlika's role spans design and construction. She embedded environmental requirements early in the design footprint, ensuring environmental risks were addressed, and ongoing management of change is effective. Her work involved overseeing heritage approvals, biological assessments, contaminated land management and managing the preparation and approval of a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) with 16 subplans.
“My job is to lead and coordinate works within the environmental space, everything from Aboriginal heritage compliance and Native Vegetation Clearing Permits (NVCP) to soil management for acid sulphate and contamination,” explains Navlika.
Navlika reviewed and interpreted more than 150 environmental site assessments and technical reports, ensuring data accuracy and regulatory compliance across each site. Her coordination work helped streamline efforts between environmental consultants, design teams, and geotechnical contractors, often combining efforts to save time and reduce costs.
“Being involved in every part of the process, from desktop studies to onsite sampling and environmental surveys, means I get a full-spectrum view,” says Navlika. “I love the challenge of collaborating with a dynamic team and feeding that into the bigger picture.”
Originally from South Africa where she worked on landmark approvals at the UNESCO listed Cradle of Humankind, Navlika has always sought out roles that combine big-picture thinking and real-world impact.
“I’ve always gravitated to roles where I’m not just ticking boxes but contributing to smarter, more sustainable project outcomes.”
Navlika continues to bring passion, precision, and perspective to everything she does at UGL.
“It’s the diversity of my role I value most,” she shares. “RTS may be a specialist division, but the environmental work is vast, and I thrive in that kind of space.”
