The 2019 Audit underscored the criticality of a high-functioning Australian infrastructure industry.
Six key themes included:
• challenging the current approach to planning, funding and delivering infrastructure projects
• substantially improving transparent reporting around planned projects
• enhancing the engagement model with industry and the infrastructure supply chain
• reducing project risk through better due diligence
• growing capability and capacity while addressing cultural issues
• doing more with less, as the sector's resources have become constrained.
These themes have been amplified by the contemporary challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recovery. These have accelerated the need for a longer-term and reformative vision for Australia's infrastructure.
Infrastructure and construction are complementary The 'infrastructure sector' is often confused with the 'construction sector'. While different, they are complementary and interdependent. The infrastructure sector accounts for one fifth of Australia's GDP. It includes many actors, including multi-national organisations, peak bodies, governments, the public service and individuals.5 These groups perform a range of duties throughout each asset's life, such as early planning, design and engineering, professional services for reviews and assurances, construction, commissioning and operations and maintenance. The construction sector is a dominant component of the infrastructure sector, along with other industries such as commercial, residential and industrial (for example, mining, oil and gas and pharmaceuticals). This sector represents around 7.2% of Australia's GDP and engages around 10% of the working population.6 Construction costs make up a relatively small component of all outgoing costs incurred over the life of some infrastructure. |