5  Social and sustainability considerations

Key Points

■  Infrastructure is fundamental to improving the social and environmental outcomes of Australians. Providing access to services will become increasingly important as the average age of the population increases and the housing supply in urban centres becomes increasingly dispersed due to population growth.

■  Regional areas and remote Indigenous communities often lack essential infrastructure, with service provision generally of a poorer standard than in urban centres. This disparity can reinforce social and economic inequalities, and presents a significant challenge for governments to overcome.

■  Climate change is likely to have considerable impacts on infrastructure assets as the frequency of extreme weather events increases. It is important that infrastructure in Australia is resilient in order to minimise the economic and social impacts of climate change.

■  Infrastructure-related emissions accounted for approximately half of Australia's total greenhouse gas inventory in the year to September 2014. Reducing the environmental impact of infrastructure will require coordinated long-term planning between governments and service providers.