The infrastructure sector has a critical mitigation and adaptation role to play when preparing for future extreme events. Assets and networks must be able to resist, absorb, accommodate, recover, transform and thrive in response to shocks and stresses. Communities and decision makers need to understand the trade-offs of living in disaster-prone areas.
A new approach to infrastructure investment and operation will enable fundamental change. It will allow Australia to pivot from being reactive to being proactive, from a focus on individual assets to considering the whole system, and from individual to shared responsibility.
This is the foundation for creating resilient communities. In addition, it will allow Australia to meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.6
The infrastructure sector needs transformation and systemic change at all levels of government, all sectors and in all communities. The changes range from how communities are engaged to how resilience and sustainability are considered in investment decisions. Changes will not only ensure assets are more resilient and sustainable, but that the network, sector, place, precinct, city and region are too.
Part of the solution is long-term decision-making processes that are inclusive, transparent and integrated. These will provide a clear, consistent approach to managing and valuing resilience and sustainability. At the same time, they will make the most of opportunities for government leadership, productivity and market development.
The ability to deliver change is highest when communities trust government and institutions. Substantial changes to how governments and the private sector act in periods of complexity and uncertainty will only be accepted and effective when citizens trust decision makers to act on their behalf and with their best interests at heart. To gain this trust, government decisions need to be inclusive and transparent, and reflect community needs and preferences.
Resilience and sustainability are so essential to this country's future that the 2021 Australian Infrastructure Plan uses them as a lens to inform every proposed sector and cross-sector infrastructure reform.
Reforms relating to sustainability and resilience are discussed in every chapter of the Plan. For example, the Energy and Waste chapters contain reforms around moving to net zero (carbon neutral) emissions and promoting the circular economy.