A message from Infrastructure Australia CEO, Romilly Madew
Welcome back. I hope you found time for a break.
A new year is a chance for us to reset our minds and return with a clearer vision of our goals. In this coming year, I am focused on adaptability and strategic thinking. We have given great thought to how Infrastructure Australia can best support the national economic recovery as the pandemic continues, and many of these projects are already underway – from advising government on market capacity, to our work streamlining project evaluations.
In this coming year, I am focused on adaptability and strategic thinking. We have given great thought to how Infrastructure Australia can best support the national economic recovery as the pandemic continues, and many of these projects are already underway – from advising government on market capacity, to our work streamlining project evaluations.
We will also be releasing our latest comprehensive investment roadmap in the 2021 Infrastructure Priority List, We are pleased to be launching an updated Priority List on Friday February 26 and warmly invite you and your colleagues to join us for Infrastructure Australia’s first virtual launch event.
The sector is adjusting to a new norm of uncertainty. We must continue adapting as the world around us shifts and at every step of the way we must ask ourselves where we can make the greatest impact.
I hope you will join us in this effort. I look forward to collaborating with you, forging new ways of working together and taking actionable steps to support Australian communities.
Join us for the launch of the 2021 Infrastructure Priority List
On Friday February 26, we will be launching the 2021 edition of the Infrastructure Priority List – a comprehensive investment roadmap for the nation.
You are invited to join us for a free and interactive virtual launch event to discover the key infrastructure investment needs of our cities, regions and remote communities.
The Priority List provides a pipeline of investments ready for delivery and nationally significant priorities for Australia’s governments to progress in the near, medium and longer term.
Providing evidence-based advice on critical gaps and investment opportunities, this year’s edition considered infrastructure proposals that respond to the many challenges Australia has been facing, including the recent and ongoing drought, the 2019–2020 bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Launch of the 2021 Infrastructure Priority List
WHEN: 11 am AEDT Friday 26 February 2021
WHERE: Virtual launch event.
We warmly invite you to join the virtual launch event for a clear view of the priority investments for Australia.
Contact mail@infrastructureaustralia.gov.au for further details.
What's next for Infrastructure Australia?
Assessing market capacity
As announced in the 2020-21 Federal Budget, Infrastructure Australia is leading new research to create an expanded understanding on the infrastructure sector’s capacity to deliver Australia’s investment pipeline. Work has commenced across a range of projects with the collective purpose of:
- forecasting the demand and supply of critical inputs required to deliver the infrastructure pipeline
- identifying and articulating the associated risks to successful market participation
- understanding market constraints impeding the efficient operation of the market.
A major reset of the Assessment Framework
This year we will be launching a major reset of the Infrastructure Australia Assessment Framework, to ensure it remains an easy-to-use guide to our evaluation process and the evidence we require from infrastructure proposals, as well as a guide for best practice.
Updates will ensure the Assessment Framework continues to align with jurisdictional requirements, provide new guidance on emerging areas of best practice and clarify guidance on our minimum requirements.
Developing the Australian Infrastructure Plan
In mid-2021, we will be launching the next Australian Infrastructure Plan. .
The Plan provide will provide a positive reform roadmap for Australian infrastructure. It will respond to the challenges and opportunities identified in the 2019 Australian Infrastructure Audit – as well as those that have emerged during the pandemic – and outline the solutions required to drive productivity growth, maintain and enhance our standard of living, and ensures our cities and regions remain world class.
Take our survey on the future of Australian infrastructure delivery
We are inviting members of the infrastructure industry to participate in a nation-wide benchmarking survey of public and private infrastructure owners, deliverers, operators, and supply chain partners.
As you know, we are currently developing the 2021 Australian Infrastructure Plan. The 2021 Plan will guide the next wave of infrastructure reform and build on the opportunities and challenges identified in the 2019 Australian Infrastructure Audit. The Plan is scheduled to be launched in mid-2021.
This survey aims to gain an industry-wide perspective on the desired future state of the Australian infrastructure sector. This will be compared with perspectives of the current state. Combined, these perceptions will establish a clear and unified direction for infrastructure policy reform.
Take the survey – have your say.
The link will be active until Friday, 26 February. You will be able to access the survey at any point during this time.
Is 2020 an anomaly or a cautionary tale for the infrastructure sector?
Earlier in the month, our Chief of Policy & Research, Peter Colacino, shared his thoughts on the step-change needed in the infrastructure sector to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. He notes that:
...we need to become more comfortable with continual change and uncertainty in order to meet community and customer expectations.
In the article, he outlines the five key trends emerging out of the pandemic that will continue to influence how we use infrastructure, taken from our recent report.
I look forward to continuing to work with you and your teams over the coming year,
Romilly Madew AO FTSE
Chief Executive Officer, Infrastructure Australia