Reforms to meet Australia's future infrastructure needs
Infrastructure Australia is proud to publish the 2021 Australian Infrastructure Plan (the 2021 Plan), a practical and actionable roadmap for reform.
Read The 2021 Australian Infrastructure Plan
Read Infrastructure Australia's media release
The 2021 Plan responds to the 180 infrastructure challenges and opportunities identified in Infrastructure Australia's 2019 Australian Infrastructure Audit, as well as responding to the impacts of the pandemic, as examined in our Infrastructure beyond COVID-19 report.
Calling on government and industry to rise to the challenges and opportunities of the present so Australian communities can continue to thrive and prosper, the 2021 Plan provides practical recommendations to deliver infrastructure for a stronger Australia.
Our vision for 2036
Infrastructure Australia's vision for 2036 is to have infrastructure that improves the sustainability of the country's economic, social, environmental and governance settings, improves quality of life for all Australians, and is resilient to shocks and emerging stresses.
The 2021 Australian Infrastructure Plan sets out the reforms needed over the next 15 years to achieve this.
As reported in The Australian, The Guardian, Fairfax media, The Age, NT News and other press articles today, the 2021 Plan's focus areas and themes respond to Australians' changing needs:
- Place-based outcomes for communities - unlocking the potential of every place
- Sustainability and resilience - balancing infrastructure outcomes in an uncertain future
- Industry productivity and innovation - facilitating a step change in industry productivity
- Transport - delivering an integrated transport network
- Energy - enabling an affordable transition to a net zero future
- Water - prioritising safe and secure water
- Telecommunications and digital - ensuring equality in an era of accelerating digitalisation
- Social infrastructure - supporting economic prosperity and quality of life
- Waste - accelerating Australia's transition to a circular economy.
Collaboration and consensus
The reform roadmap outlined in the 2021 Plan reflects an industry consensus that was developed in close collaboration with governments, industry and communities.
As part of this, Infrastructure Australia completed a comprehensive engagement program that targeted more than 6,500 community members and industry stakeholders across Australia’s cities and regions.
Thank you to everyone who collaborated with us to develop the 2021 Plan, we were privileged to work closely with skilled and passionate stakeholders who are working to drive reform and deliver better community outcomes.
We have worked closely with our colleagues across the Australian Government, state and territory and local governments, and will continue our close collaboration as we move to implement the 2021 Plan's recommendations.
We were pleased to see support for the 2021 Plan from a broad representation from industry, including Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, Smart Cities Council, Planning Institute of Australia, National Farmers' Federation, Australian Constructors Association, Property Council of Australia, Infrastructure Sustainability Council, Consult Australia, Water Services Association of Australia, Roads Australia, Civil Contractors Federation, National Growth Areas Alliance, We Ride and we look forward to progressing the 2021 Plan's reforms alongside industry and government.
Next steps
Now that the 2021 Plan is published, we are focusing on collaborating with reform owners across industries and jurisdictions to provide guidance and support as the recommendations are adopted.
As a priority, we will support collaboration in the three strategic focus areas that cut across all infrastructure sectors:
- unlocking the potential of every place
- embedding sustainability and resilience into infrastructure decision-making
- driving a step change in industry productivity and innovation.
As well as being more active reform advocates, we will move to a more organic development cycle of Audits and Plans for Australia's infrastructure networks.
If Infrastructure Australia can provide any further information to your organisation as you navigate the 2021 Plan's recommendations, contact mail@infrastructureaustralia.gov.au.