The Infrastructure Australia infrastructure pipeline is a 'living' statement of where Infrastructure Australia believes governments, the community and the private sector can best focus their infrastructure efforts. Infrastructure Australia is focused on further developing the initiatives on the National Infrastructure Pipeline, and working with proponents to develop robust business cases for those initiatives so that final decisions can be taken to classify them as "ready to proceed" if the evidence supports that conclusion.
At the same time, Infrastructure Australia will also consider new proposals for reform and investment initiatives which support the seven themes for action, including proposals which should form part of the national strategies currently being developed. Infrastructure Australia is working closely with State and Territory Governments because of their prime responsibility for infrastructure planning and implementation within their boundaries. Of course, Infrastructure Australia welcomes submissions from other proponents, however, it is important that any such proposals demonstrate a degree of consideration of State or Territory planning processes.
Infrastructure Australia continues to use the Reform and Investment Framework to guide its own strategic infrastructure policy and planning, and therefore to inform its decision-making in relation to reform and investment priorities. Infrastructure Australia is therefore seeking submissions for support for reform and investment initiatives which:
• form part of a set of coherent proposals for a long-term package of reforms (for example, demand management measures and governance arrangements) and investments, which are the direct result of thorough and evidence-based infrastructure planning processes and the resulting strategies - and which are clearly presented in that context;
• support Infrastructure Australia's strategic priorities, including proposals which could form part of the national strategies currently being developed by Infrastructure Australia;
• clearly identifies and quantifies the problem and explains why solving that particular problem is being prioritised against other potential problems;
• are a sophisticated package of both reform and investment initiatives, with a focus on reform initiatives. All capacity investment initiatives should demonstrate why making more efficient use of the existing network, for example through regulatory or pricing reform, is not a better solution; and
• are backed by comprehensive and robust demand/price forecasting; capex and opex estimates, and economic cost-benefit analysis.
Infrastructure Australia seeks to build a long term pipeline of reforms and investments. Therefore submissions should not be limited only to initiatives seeking immediate support. Infrastructure Australia welcomes submissions which identify potential future priorities without specifying a precise solution: for instance submissions which identify major emerging challenges and a range of potential solutions for further analysis, for ongoing consideration in Australia's infrastructure pipeline.