Call for submissions on infrastructure Thursday, 24 August 2017

Infrastructure Australia is calling for submissions to help it identify “infrastructure problems and opportunities of national significance” for its 2018 Infrastructure Priority List (IPL).

The independent statutory body releases regular updates to its IPL and the next is due in February next year. Infrastructure Australia’s role is to evaluate project proposals that are “nationally significant or where funding of more than $100 million is sought from the Commonwealth”. This includes infrastructure proposals across all sectors, excluding defence.

The latest 2017 IPL, dated July, shows half of Australia’s “high priority” infrastructure projects are in Sydney. These are WestConnex, Western Sydney Airport, Sydney Metro, and M4 Motorway upgrade. The list also includes Melbourne’s M80 Ring Road Upgrade and Melbourne Metro Rail, Queensland’s Ipswich Motorway Rocklea-Darra Stage 1c, and WA’s Perth Freight Link.

These projects are deemed high priority as the full business case for the project has been completed and positively assessed by Infrastructure Australia and it addresses a major problem or represents an opportunity of national significance. The “priority” list, the next level down, is longer and includes more projects across Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania.

Looking ahead, Infrastructure Australia CEO Philip Davies said the 2018 IPL will build on the current list, with new initiatives reflecting emerging infrastructure priorities across Australia. He also said there would be updates to existing initiatives and called for submissions “that solve the most pressing infrastructure problems” facing Australia.

“We welcome submissions for all types of infrastructure, including programs of related works and programs for network optimisation,” Davies said.

Civil engineers are encouraged to have their say before the deadline for submissions on 27 October 2017. For more information or to discuss the submission process contact Paul Bourke on (02) 8114 1970 or email [email protected].

For Infrastructure Australia, beyond the 2018 IPL it will be conducting the second Australian Infrastructure Audit. The first, in 2015, found “a lack of access to consistent and reliable data on the utilisation and operation of Australia’s infrastructure networks to inform decision-making”.

 

Image: WestConnex M5 in July 2017. Source: WestConnex