Key messages

•  Social infrastructure, and the services it supports, not only enables Australians to live better lives, it delivers substantial direct and indirect benefits to the nation's economy.

•  Australia needs a nationally consistent approach to identifying and evaluating the quadruple-bottom-line value of all social infrastructure investments.

•  Together, the health and education sectors made up 13% of Australia's GDP in 2020, more than mining, finance, construction and manufacturing.

•  Education leads to higher levels of wages and employment and boosts Job satisfaction and productivity, while lifelong learning produces a skilled workforce. Both require high-quality, cost-effective, digitally enabled educational infrastructure that is well located and fit for purpose.

•  Investment in safe and adequate social housing generates positive wellbeing, health and productivity outcomes for individuals and contributes to the effective functioning of society.

•  To support more informed investment decisions, there need to be more fully developed business cases that capture and assess the wider societal and economic benefits of social and affordable rental housing programs.

•  Active recreation and sport and Australia's world-class natural assets generate a wealth of health, social and economic benefits, and cultural and creative activity contributed more than $115.2 billion to the economy in 2017-18.70

•  Governments should drive economic growth by coordinating arts, cultural and recreational infrastructure strategies that capitalise on the unique strengths of Australia's regions.