The Infrastructure Priority List published by Infrastructure Australia (IA) puts in sharp relief the requirements of a growing Australia.
Property Council of Australia Chief Executive Ken Morrison said in the lead-up to 2019’s federal election, any promises of investment in new infrastructure projects should only come from those already on the IA Priority List.
“The strength of IA’s Priority List is its evidence-based, no-nonsense assessment of the projects that really matter in boosting productivity and the liveability of our cities and regions,” Mr Morrison said.
“These are the projects that must be the priority for an incoming federal government after the next election – and the ones on which their infrastructure pledges are assessed by the electorate,” Mr Morrison said.
“The IA Priority List is Australia’s best insurance against white elephants, boondoggles and pork barrel projects that might deliver a few votes but which don’t do anything for efficiency, productivity or liveability,” Mr Morrison said.
This year’s Priority List (2019) includes twenty-five new initiatives, most of which are focused on better public transport to reduce congestion and maintain the liveability of our cities.
There are 121 proposals for infrastructure of national significance– the highest number since the Priority List’s inception.
The Priority List highlights the additional pressure of population growth as well as transformational impacts of new technology on energy and transport markets, as well as the growth of knowledge-intensive and service sectors.
“As IA says, it’s not just a matter of keeping pace with demand – we need to get ahead of the game through smarter decision-making, forward thinking and planning and prioritising strategic investments,” Mr Morrison said.
“Our independent adviser to government on our infrastructure priorities has done the hard thinking about which projects need support.
“Now it’s up to government to make the smart decisions and get on with the task of building for a growing nation,” Mr Morrison said.
Source: Property Council of Australia