There are knowledge gaps about the environment, natural resources and demographics of Northern Australia that have implications for assessing its infrastructure needs, planning and delivery.
The lack of data deters effective actions, such as land use and infrastructure planning, investment attraction, service delivery and environmental assessments.
Among the data-gathering requirements are:
• strategic assessments to gather environmental baseline data, assess the potential cumulative impact of development at a regional scale, devise management measures and determine infrastructure needs
• ongoing underground water assessments to determine sustainable yields and water supply options for development
• consistent hazard mapping for cyclones, storm surges, floods and bushfires to underpin infrastructure design, emergency responses and disaster management plans
• corridor planning to assess optimal routes and configurations for infrastructure, conduct assessments and secure tenure, with the goal of facilitating efficient land use and rapid infrastructure delivery in the future
• demographic, labour force, education and skills mapping to better understand current population dynamics and skills availability, and to provide baselines for effective workforce planning, development and engagement measurements
• assessments of the adequacy of current infrastructure and associated services, and of future requirements under various development and growth scenarios.
The 2019 Audit identified several infrastructure challenges and opportunities in Northern Australia. Being able to access and generate relevant data, including new third party data, would better inform decision making and lead to a focused, place-based assessment of the region's infrastructure needs.
Undertaken as part of a refreshed Northern Australia agenda, a new Northern Australia Infrastructure Audit would assess data adequacy, identify gaps, reflect current and new priorities and determine and prioritise future needs.