A new Infrastructure Australia board has been announced as the authority transitions to an independent statutory body.

Infrastructure Australia Chair, Mark Birrell, said the new board is the first step in advancing the authority's work following yesterday's proclamation of the Infrastructure Australia Amendment Bill 2014.

“Infrastructure Australia is now an independent statutory body with a much-needed mandate to prioritise and progress nationally significant infrastructure," Mr Birrell said.

“With a board in place we can now take up these important roles and be a key source of research and advice on the projects and reforms Australia needs to fill the infrastructure gap.

“If we get our infrastructure right, we will protect Australia's quality of life at a time of population growth and global economic change.”

The recently-passed Bill strengthens the role of Infrastructure Australia and creates an independent board for the first time, which will appoint its own CEO.

“Board members bring deep experience from business, professions and academia, from both public and private sector backgrounds. This will help us provide the best possible advice on financing, delivering and managing projects around Australia,” Mr Birrell said.

“I am pleased we have retained some experience from the previous advisory council and I welcome the new members and their expertise to the table.”

The new Infrastructure Australia board members are:

• Mr Mark Birrell (Chair);
• Ms Julieanne Alroe;
• Mr Gerard Blood;
• Mr Michael Carapiet;
• Mr Peter Corish;
• A/Prof Colin Duffield;
• Ms Nicole Lockwood;
• Dr Daniel Norton;
• Dr Kerry Schott; and
• Mr Peter Watson.

The board was announced yesterday by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, The Hon Warren Truss. The acting CEO is Mr John Fitzgerald.

Mr Birrell said the early tasks of Infrastructure Australia are to complete a comprehensive audit of existing national infrastructure to be presented to the Australian Government later in the year, and publish a 15-year national infrastructure plan.

The plan will be based on wide input and will canvass:

• Australia's current and future infrastructure needs
• means of financing and delivering infrastructure, and
• ideas for better planning and use of infrastructure networks.

Infrastructure Australia Board