Rob McInerney, a Mount Gravatt East resident has spent decades working in international road safety and infrastructure planning—work that has now been recognised with an appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the Australia Day 2026 Honours List.
Building A Career Around Safer Roads
Since 2007, Mr McInerney has led the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), an organisation focused on assessing road safety risks and supporting safer road infrastructure through research, data tools and program delivery. United Nations material describes iRAP programmes as active in over 100 countries, working with local partners to improve road safety outcomes.
His leadership role has placed him at the centre of international efforts to improve how roads are designed, assessed and managed, with a focus on long-term planning and engineering standards.
National And International Roles
Mr McInerney’s professional background includes leadership roles with the Australian Road Safety Collaboration (33,900), as well as advisory and committee positions connected to international transport and road safety forums. He has been a member of working groups linked to the International Transport Forum and the World Road Association’s Road Safety Committee.
Within Australia, he served as a principal advisor to the National Road Safety Strategy Review during 2017–2018 and held earlier research and senior roles with the Australian Road Research Board from 1997 to 2008. He has also been a director of New Road Pty Ltd since 2018.
Recognition In The Field
Across his career, Mr McInerney has received several professional awards recognising road safety contributions. These include the IRF Global Road Safety Award in 2017, Fellowship of the Australasian College of Road Safety in 2015, and the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in both 2014 and 2020.
These honours reflect sustained involvement in research, leadership and advisory work rather than a single initiative or project.
The Australia Day 2026 Appointment
In the Australia Day 2026 Honours List, Mr McInerney was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the General Division. His citation refers to distinguished service to international road safety and management programs, to infrastructure planning, and to engineering.
A National Honour With Local Ties
The Australia Day 2026 Honours List recognised 949 Australians across awards in the Order of Australia, meritorious honours and recognition for distinguished and conspicuous service. The total represents an increase of more than 200 recipients compared with the previous year.
Within the General Division of the Order of Australia, 680 awards were made, including 38 appointments at the Officer level, which recognises distinguished service of a high degree.
Published 26-Jan-2026
