26. Over recent years, rates of public and private investment in infrastructure have been higher than the long-term average.
27. The current level of public sector expenditure - especially in the transport sector, which remains largely funded by government rather than user charges - may be unsustainable in the face of increasing budget pressures to fund welfare and health services.
28. Current arrangements for the funding of land transport represent the most significant opportunity for public policy reform in Australia's infrastructure sectors.
29. Government funding alone is unlikely to be sufficient to provide the infrastructure that Australia requires. Maintaining or strengthening conditions to facilitate private sector investment in and operation of Australia's infrastructure networks is fundamentally important.
30. The country needs to consider a broader system of transport pricing, both for road and public transport.
31. Amalgamation of local government in some areas, and other reforms such as shared services arrangements, will be necessary if local councils are to have the scale and financial capacity to meet their local infrastructure responsibilities.
32. Skills shortages contribute to cost increases for infrastructure construction. Development of an infrastructure pipeline presents an opportunity to develop a better skilled workforce and to minimise skills shortages in the future.
33. Australia would benefit from a strong and consistent pipeline of future infrastructure projects. Without this, there is uncertainty and less likelihood of a well-resourced environment for project procurement. The effectiveness and cost of current procurement processes in some jurisdictions are also an ongoing concern.
34. Governments, industry and the community should ensure there is a continuous focus on reducing construction costs, and promoting modern building practices.