Today, I am proud to share that Infrastructure Australia has publicly launched the 2019 Australian Infrastructure Audit.
The 2019 Audit presents a forward-looking view of Australia’s infrastructure challenges and opportunities over the next 15 years and beyond.
The Audit is a wide-ranging document, totalling 640 pages, with 180 identified Challenges and Opportunities, 350 infographics and more than 2,500 references. It includes the work of over 150 contributors and the views of a further 5000 people who were surveyed as part of our community research.
The document is the culmination of more than 12 months of work. It could not have been accomplished without the expertise and assistance of the many people who engaged meaningfully with us during the drafting process.
I extend my thanks to all our valuable contributors for their impact in shaping this important document.
A different approach
The 2019 Australian Infrastructure Audit is the second of its kind, following our inaugural Audit in 2015. This Audit does a few things differently.
The document examines Australia’s infrastructure needs from the perspective of the user. It focuses on the accessibility, quality and affordability of infrastructure for all Australians and covers the major infrastructure sectors of energy, transport, telecommunications, water – and for the first time – social infrastructure.
Rather than focus on conventional state and territory boundaries, we have framed infrastructure needs by the type of places they serve. The Audit identifies the geographic impact of each challenge and opportunity using four new categories:
- Fast growing cities,
- Smaller cities and regional centres,
- Smaller towns, regional communities and remote areas, and
- Developing regions and northern Australia.
Our analysis is supported by a range of new supporting technical reports, including:
- Transport network modelling for the nation’s six largest urban conurbations
- A survey of 5000 Australians regarding their perceptions of Infrastructure
- Analysis of the cost of infrastructure expressed as a proportion of average household incomes across Australia.
What’s next for Infrastructure Australia
The Audit is the first step in our policy process to identify nationally significant reform and investment priorities to meet Australia’s long term infrastructure needs.
The breadth of issues identified in the document will inform the the approach and recommendations of the next Australian Infrastructure Plan, as well as our ongoing work in updating the Infrstructure Priority List, an annual pipeline of nationally significant investment opportunities.
We are inviting public submissions in response to the Audit, and warmly encourage you to share your feedback as we begin work on the Australian Infrastructure Plan, due for release in 2021.
It’s critical that we receive a diversity of views, as it will help us to identify the right infrastructure solutions to support Australia’s growth and development over the next 15 years and beyond.
We look forward to receiving your feedback in the coming months.
Kind regards,
Julieanne Alroe
Chair, Infrastructure Australia