People live in diverse areas across Australia, from Fast-growing Cities to Remote Areas and Developing Regions. Reflecting this, Infrastructure Australia's 2019 Audit signalled a shift in focus from comparing Jurisdictions to instead considering the distinct and unique geographies at work across Australia.
In adopting this lens, the 2019 Audit found that infrastructure accessibility, quality and cost differs for users in different places. It reported that people rated the quality of infrastructure services as high for most Australians in urban areas but that population growth is impacting some services.
The 2019 Audit also found that in low-density areas, the needs of emerging industries and lower socio-economic groups are not being met, while some remote areas lacked access to basic services such as clean drinking water.23
Access to choice in infrastructure services has improved since the 2019 Audit, largely due to new technology. While service choice is strongest in Fast-growing Cities, it is weaker in other areas and for people from lower socio-economic and diverse backgrounds.24
Population growth impacts are being felt in Fast-growing Cities as infrastructure is placed under pressure, including public transport crowding and road congestion, which is expected to cost the economy $38.8 billion by 2031.25
Additionally, some remote parts of Australia still do not have access to high-speed internet, reliable mobile coverage or clean drinking water and sanitation.26
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated recovery strategies vary greatly between different communities.
Fast-growing Cities are being challenged by the changing role of their central business districts and mode shift from public transport back to private vehicles, while many Smaller Cities and Regional Centres have experienced population increases, leading to worsening housing affordability and availability challenges in some areas.
Communities in Small Towns, Rural Communities and Remote Areas have experienced a widening digital divide, as the move towards online delivery of services during COVID-19 exposed existing deficits in digital accessibility, affordability and availability.