If Australia is to enjoy the full benefits of industrialisation, there will need to be government leadership.
This starts with the development and implementation of a roadmap towards industrialising the infrastructure sector. The roadmap would capture where governments can utilise innovative approaches to infrastructure planning and delivery, including:
• using bulk procurement arrangements across and between projects
• reusing project designs or using generative design
• increasing design standardisation and common parts between projects
• using modern methods of construction such as manufactured assembly and offsite construction
• use of digital by default technologies, processes and systems.
A whole of government response would lead change:
Treasuries and delivery agencies would have to respond by changing their procurement practices.
Skills commissioners, education departments and agencies responsible for public sector skills would use industrialisation to plan for tomorrow's skills needs in the private and public sector.
Agencies responsible for land use planning and natural resource extraction would use it as a baseline for long-term permits and approvals (such as quarry materials).
As part of roadmap development, governments should seek out, and build on, progressive initiatives being implemented now. Key examples include the Victorian School Building Authority, Health Infrastructure New South Wales and the Transport for NSW digital engineering framework.27
For more information about digital technologies, processes and systems that can make the transition towards industrialisation more seamless, see Reform 3.3 in this chapter.