This chapter explores Australia's social infrastructure but does not include every element of this diverse and complex network of facilities. It recommends reasonable, tangible and actionable first steps to initiate change in social infrastructure that will benefit communities, now and into the future.
Infrastructure Australia has reviewed and considered other recent or parallel government reviews and Royal Commissions. We have excluded aspects of social infrastructure covered by these investigations, including:
• Aged care, as this sector is mainly delivered by private providers and was comprehensively reviewed by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which released its Final Report in March 2021.
• Emergency services, as the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements reported at the end of 2020. Its report includes recommendations regarding the capacity and capability for fire and emergency services, resource sharing and capability building. Emergency services is discussed in the Sustainability and resilience and Telecommunications and digital chapters of the 2021 Plan.
• Justice and correctional services are discussed briefly in Reform 8.2: Partnerships to build communities. While the 2019 Audit found demand for correctional facilities is partly impacted by population growth, demand is also driven by policy settings around minimum sentencing and criminalisation, which are beyond the scope of the 2021 Plan.
There are many cross-sectoral complexities and layers across social infrastructure that are addressed in the other chapters of the 2021 Plan. Due to the place-based nature of social infrastructure and the essential role it plays in connecting people to a range of services and opportunities, the Place-based outcomes for communities and Transport chapters have particular relevance.