Infrastructure Australia's purpose is to identify reforms and investments which are vital to ensure Australia's economic infrastructure continues to support and drive the nation's economic, social and environmental success.
Infrastructure Australia's December 2008 Report to the Council of Australian Governments1 identified, on the basis of submissions received and Infrastructure Australia's own analysis, seven key themes for action:
1. A national freight network: development of a National Freight Network so that more freight can be moved by rail and road;
2. Competitive international gateways: developing more effective ports and associated land transport systems to more efficiently cope with imports and exports;
3. Creation of a true national energy market: more extensive national energy grids to enable greater flexibility and competition in the nation's electricity and gas systems, whilst creating opportunities for the development of renewable energy sources;
4. Transforming our cities: improve the efficiency and sustainability of our cities by increasing public transport capacity in our cities and making better use of existing transport infrastructure;
5. Providing essential indigenous infrastructure: improved services for indigenous communities; and
6. Adaptable and secure water supplies: more adaptable and resilient water systems to cope with climate change.
7. A national broadband network: developing a more extensive, globally competitive broadband system;
Infrastructure Australia believes that improving infrastructure planning practices around Australia is critical in order to take effective action in these areas. The States and Territories have clear responsibility for planning and decision-making within their boundaries. In addition, the Australian Government is taking a more active approach to infrastructure planning.
In this context, Infrastructure Australia has an important role in promoting best practice planning and decision-making; providing a clear national perspective, improving the linkages between jurisdictions, and shifting decisions about infrastructure from traditional project-by-project and jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction approaches to a much broader and deeper focus on national objectives and priorities.
In addition, it is important to note that Infrastructure Australia takes a long term, national approach to infrastructure planning. Infrastructure Australia is not seeking a list of projects looking for alternative sources of funding, but instead coherent proposals for a long-term package of reforms and investments, which are the direct result of thorough and evidence-based infrastructure planning processes, and which are clearly presented in that context.
Given Infrastructure Australia's national approach on infrastructure planning, Infrastructure Australia released its Reform and Investment Framework (see Table 1) to help guide proponents in the development of their submissions and to frame decision-making. This Framework was established by Infrastructure Australia in response to widely held views that infrastructure decision-making is typically carried out in an environment where initiatives are considered in isolation, lack coordination and where the initiatives themselves are driven by short term considerations.
The Framework adopts a structured approach, starting with a clear articulation of the overarching policy goals, problems and challenges facing Australia, before policymakers identify and assess various options or solutions to these problems.
Section three of this document sets out the seven steps of the Framework in full.
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1 Available at http://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/files/A_Report_to_the_Council_of_Australian_Governments.pdf