National Strategic Plans Could Enhance State Infrastructure

National Strategic Plans Could Enhance the State Infrastructure Says Peak Infrastructure Body

The Prime Minister's announcement of consistent national criteria to strategically plan Australia's cities could offer a way forward for the infrastructure challenges in key economic and population centres, says Infrastructure Partnerships Australia the nation's peak infrastructure body.

"Australia's cities are under threat because we haven't got long-term strategic planning right," said IPA Executive Director, Brendan Lyon. "Between now and 2050, Australia's population will grow to more than 35 million, the national freight task will triple and Australia's cities will house more than 10 million additional people.

"Without a step change in the way we plan for these challenges, Australia's productivity and liveability is under serious threat.

"These major national challenges demand a national solution.

"A cooperative COAG-led way of planning on a national basis for national challenges is a prudent objective, recognising the unprecedented population explosion in Australia's cities.

"Elevating long-term planning to COAG's agenda will mean Australia's Prime Minister and Premiers will be integrally involved in planning for Australia's cities.

"The quality of long-term infrastructure planning is highly variable across Australia's states. National principles reflecting global and national best-practice could help all of Australia's States to get it right on infrastructure.

"Linking national infrastructure funding to nationally agreed reform presents a positive option which was successful in the context of the National Competition Policies in the 1990s.

"Of course Canberra must limit itself to high-level planning principles. States will always have responsibility for state infrastructure and planning decisions but common principles are a sensible step forward.

"A nationally agreed set of principles that begin to integrally link land use, urban density and environmental outcomes to the development of supporting transport, utilities and social infrastructure will be very important to address growth pressures.

"The business community looks forward to seeing further details on the
Commonwealth's plan in the coming months."

Media contact:
Ruci Fixter
0438 380 464

Infrastructure Partnerships Australia is a national forum, comprising public & private sector CEO Members, advocating the public policy interests of Australia's Infrastructure Industry.

SOURCE: IPA