Australia's infrastructure plays an essential role in making Australian communities resilient.
Resilient communities can resist, absorb, accommodate, recover, transform and thrive in response to the effects of shocks and stresses in a timely, efficient manner to enable sustainable economic, social, environmental and governance outcomes.
" With growing uncertainty and change lying ahead, long-term investments such as infrastructure must accommodate changing circumstances. "
The 2019 Audit identified significant challenges that are preventing these outcomes. It concluded Australia needs comprehensive resilience strategies and reform that reduce the personal, social and financial costs of shocks and stresses by improving the resilience of assets and services.30
With growing uncertainty and change lying ahead, long-term investments such as infrastructure must accommodate changing circumstances. Australia will spend over $1 trillion on infrastructure before 2050.31 The challenge of responding to changing risks is particularly significant for long-lived assets with large capital costs, such as airports, dams and rail.
A nationally consistent approach to resilience based on a clear and concise articulation of policy priorities is required so reforms and investment can be prioritised.