Over the five months between Infrastructure Australia inviting submissions for its 2020 Infrastructure Priority List and release of its final report last week, Australia experienced devastating fires, then floods, putting infrastructure planning and resilience in the spotlight like never before.
The list consists of 147 proposals of national significance, the highest number since the list’s inception and 37 more than last year.
Its five new high priority national initiatives cover water security, use and management; waste and recycling; coastal inundation and protection; and road serviceability.
IPWEA Australasia CEO, David Jenkins attended the document’s launch event in Canberra. He says that having a skilled engineering workforce is essential to meeting the diversity and urgency of the proposed projects sustainably.
“We must continue to increase competency in infrastructure asset planning, delivery and reporting whist supporting our members, which in turn will generate the best outcomes for our communities,” said Jenkins.
“IPWEA’s submission to Infrastructure Australia highlights the increasing knowledge gaps as the bulk of the public works workforce approaches retirement at the same time as the impacts of climate change, the China National Sword policy and industry automation gain momentum.”
IPWEA’s submission recommended three industry efficiency, capacity and capability improvements:
- Implement and maintain a credible, consistent and scalable Asset Management Framework across all levels of government;
- Promote the benefits of applying sound asset management principles with an industry-wide uplift of skills in the long-term management of infrastructure assets;
- Audit long-term asset management and financial plans so they are aligned, credible, reliable, up-to-date and compliant with best practice.
“IPWEA also advocates that infrastructure planning and development be undertaken in partnership with industry peak bodies to harness specialist knowledge, experience and training resources for better inform decisions at this important time,” said Jenkins.
Regional Australia also emerged as a focus of this edition of the Infrastructure Priority List with a call to improve mobile telecommunications coverage in regional and remote areas and improve road safety.
“The aftermath of the black summer bushfires exposed unforeseen issues with communication infrastructure that will need particular expertise, given that bushfires will unfortunately recur. IPWEA is watching with interest the next phase in the development of the Australian Infrastructure Plan, which is due for release in 2021.”
View the Infrastructure Priority List 2020 here.