Infrastructure Australia, the nation's independent infrastructure advisor, has updated its Infrastructure Priority List following the positive assessment of four business cases.

The Infrastructure Priority List identifies nationally significant projects and initiatives in every state and territory. The List is continually updated as the Infrastructure Australia Board receives and assesses new business cases from project proponents.

Infrastructure Australia Chief Executive Philip Davies said the Board had positively assessed business cases for:

• Bruce Highway Upgrade (Caloundra Road to Sunshine Motorway)—(Queensland)
• M1 Pacific Motorway-Gateway Motorway Merge Upgrade (southbound lanes) (Queensland)
• Eyre Infrastructure Project (Iron Road) (South Australia)
• North-South Corridor (Darlington Upgrade Project) (South Australia)

“Infrastructure Australia is currently assessing a record number of business cases as Australian governments and industry embrace the need to better align project proposals with an identified infrastructure need,” Mr Davies said.

“Assessing a project for inclusion on the Infrastructure Priority List follows a rigorous process. This enables us to give decision makers the information they need to invest in the best infrastructure projects for our growing communities.

“Our assessment process involves interrogating the individual costs and benefits of a proposed project to determine whether it has the potential to meet an identified infrastructure need. We also assess the project's strategic fit, deliverability and economic, social and environmental impacts.

“Adding these projects to our Infrastructure Priority List as Priority Projects demonstrates that each of the projects are sound investments that address an issue of national significance.

“Upgrading the Caloundra Road to Sunshine Motorway section of the Bruce Highway will ease congestion and improve road safety in a section of the Highway that is vital in connecting regional centres and enabling significant freight movement within and between regions.

“The Gateway Motorway Merge upgrade will provide additional capacity for the Pacific Motorway between Tugun and Brisbane. This is the busiest road corridor in South East Queensland which sees an average of 78,500 vehicles travelling southbound per day.

“The Eyre Infrastructure Project has been added to the Infrastructure Priority List as a Priority Project. The project addresses the need for additional high-capacity port and rail infrastructure on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula to enable mineral resources exports.

“The Board also positively assessed the South Australian Government's proposal to upgrade a 3.3 kilometre section of Adelaide's North-South Corridor between South Road and the Southern Expressway, as part of a broader $2.5 billion upgrade between Gawler and Noarlunga,” Mr Davies said.

The updated Infrastructure Priority List is now available at www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au.