2.19 As indicated in paragraph 2.4, the timeframe for the completion of the Infrastructure Priority List was brought forward by COAG in October 2008, which meant the National Infrastructure Audit and the Infrastructure Priority List were both to be completed by December 2008. Infrastructure Australia publicly released the report titled A Report to the Council of Australian Governments in December 2008 (the 'December 2008 Report'). According to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, this represented the results of the 'first ever audit of the condition and adequacy of the nation's transport, water, energy and communications infrastructure.'77
2.20 In formulating the December 2008 Report, Infrastructure Australia relied on a range of material. This included:
• submissions made by various organisations as part of the public submissions process, such as the Business Council of Australia, Engineers Australia and the Energy Users Association of Australia;
• existing studies and reports from Commonwealth bodies, such as the Productivity Commission, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Department of Climate Change, and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation; and
• Commonwealth and State Government submissions made to Infrastructure Australia throughout 2008.
2.21 In addition, in May 2010, the Office of the Infrastructure Coordinator advised ANAO that, as well as the material provided through the public submission process and by States and Territories:
Infrastructure Australia drew on advice from the Infrastructure Coordinator and the broader remit and understanding of Infrastructure Australia [Council] members as required under the Infrastructure Australia Act 2008. In preparing the report on the National Infrastructure Audit, Infrastructure Australia [also] drew upon a range of reports from other parties.
2.22 State and Territory government submissions made originally in June or July 2008 did not feature heavily in the December 2008 Report. As noted at paragraph 2.8, these submissions had varied significantly in format and approach, and did not strictly follow the National Infrastructure Audit template.
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77 The Hon Anthony Albanese MP (Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) and Sir Rod Eddington (Chair of Infrastructure Australia), Audit of the Nation's Infrastructure Released, Joint Media Statement, 19 December 2008.