A concurrent task for the new office would be establishing and managing an intelligent infrastructure innovation scheme to drive innovation across the sector. This would begin with public works infrastructure, where governments have the greatest influence, but would eventually flow into commercial and residential sectors.
The Australian Government should establish the office and lead discussions around cross jurisdictional cooperation. The initial focus of the office should be on the main elements of digital transformation, including:
• vision and governance
• security
• skills and training
• grants and investment
• standards and guidance
• ePlanning
• digital asset management
• projects and procurement
• partnerships and grants
• data and access.
The proposed model creates a framework for driving much-needed national consistency while providing each Jurisdiction with a degree of flexibility. The scheme would ultimately generate healthier conversations and unlock latent productivity benefits. Such a scheme would play to government strengths, roles and responsibilities in providing and delivering infrastructure.
Implementing the scheme would support long-term infrastructure planning objectives, particularly for Australia's dense urban environments as they undergo rapid post-pandemic change. For more information on this topic, refer to the Place-based outcomes for communities chapter in the 2021 Plan.