MAP OF AUSTRALIAN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS AGAINST REQUESTS MADE IN PIA SUBMISSION

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1 MAP OF AUSTRALIAN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS AGAINST REQUESTS MADE IN PIA SUBMISSION KEY ELEMENTS OF PIA SUBMISSION Integrated l use infrastructure planning The critical issue of importance that PIA wishes to reinforce for the Infrastructure Plan the operation of Infrastructure Australia is the need for the integration of l use planning infrastructure provision, particularly transport water infrastructure. State Territory governments planning frameworks strategic plans guide the future development of their cities regions. It is important that the Infrastructure Plan links to, is informed by these strategic plans, which are guiding decisions about the nature of l use development. Integrated l use infrastructure planning is essential to maximize the triple bottom line value of investment for the benefit of government, the community investors. INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendation 2.4 All governments should ensure that processes are in place to deliver high-quality, well-designed, higher density development, connected to infrastructure public amenities. Mechanisms available to government include: At state territory level, governments should ensure that statutory planning instruments deliver highquality design they should examine options to encourage good design through providing incentives in the planning approval process; State territory governments should integrate their metropolitan l-use transport planning processes to ensure that the delivery of new housing is located near transport infrastructure; At the local level, governments should align the delivery of higher density developments with related upgrades to community infrastructure amenities Recommendation 2.3 To meet the dems of population growth Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane Perth should accelerate the delivery of high-quality, higher density development within established urban areas. As part of their Planning Institute of Australia Page 1 of 9

2 metropolitan planning processes, governments should take steps to reduce urban sprawl ensure the majority of new housing supply is medium to high-density delivered in established urban areas. Recommendation 4.1 Population The reference to population is also important must be linked to both the demographic profile geographic spread of population, not just the sheer population size. Our country has highly varied population distribution settlement patterns that need to be accounted for. It is also important to recognise that while infrastructure provided in major metropolitan areas may be best described as supporting population growth, often in regional centres, infrastructure investment is needed to stimulate population growth maintain the liveability of centres that keep them as great places for people to live work. Similarly, our ageing population places different State territory governments should deliver longterm regional infrastructure plans. These plans should: Identify gaps in infrastructure networks identify priorities to support productive regional industries; Be developed with involvement from all levels of government to help coordinate investments remove duplication; Provide transparency for the private sector to allow for government funding to be leveraged private investment to be maximised; Assess the potential for regions to ease pressure on our largest cities. Recommendation 2.2 The Australian Government should deliver a National Population Policy to identify Australia s population pathway over the next 50 years outline the Australian Government s options to shape that growth. The articulation of a national policy will enable the Australian Government to establish a vision for Australia s growing population identify the necessary options to ensure we fully capitalise on the potential benefits for the economy community. Planning Institute of Australia Page 2 of 9

3 dems on cities, towns regions, in turn the infrastructure that serves them. Economic growth While a focus on population growth as a driver for infrastructure investment is important, equally important is the need to invest in infrastructure that supports the growth of markets, infrastructure that supports the changing nature of work. There is little point in producing goods if there is inadequate infrastructure to get those goods to market. In order to determine which markets may grow strongly, it is important to have an understing at a national level as to what the Australian Government sees as our national competitive comparative advantage what infrastructure investment can be made to underpin those advantages. Investing in the right growing markets will also be critically important in helping to determine urban settlement patterns, the distribution of scarce public resources into areas where returns will be maximized long term employment opportunities will be greatest. Similarly having a national view on the changing nature of work will be important to ensure that links are made between where people where people will work. Having better national policies on matters like adoption of flexible work practices, embracing the digital economy delivery of services through digital means will have significant impacts on the way people work where they work. Understing these important changes will have significant long term impacts particularly on the transport infrastructure investments we make. We are planning for transport infrastructure assuming a business as usual approach without really understing the changing nature of work patterns or the impacts of digital technological disruption. Recommendation 1.1 The Australian Government should establish Infrastructure Reform Incentives, which link additional infrastructure funding to the delivery of reform outcomes. This mechanism would encourage state, territory local governments to deliver productivity enhancing reforms to the planning, construction, operation, ownership governance of Australia s infrastructure. Infrastructure Reform Incentives should be aligned to key reforms recommended in this Plan including: improving the governance operation of our cities microeconomic reform across the energy, telecommunications, water transport sectors. Recommendation 4.5 The development of the proposed National Freight Supply Chain Strategy should be informed by CSIRO s TRAnsport Network Strategic Investment Tool (TRANSIT). This tool should be used to identify the most efficient routes along major supply chains to inform funding decisions on where strategic regional projects will have the most substantial economic impact. Recommendation 5.8 The Australian Government should undertake a review of its capacity to use increased public borrowing to support an exped economic Planning Institute of Australia Page 3 of 9

4 Resilience health PIA agrees with the challenges that have been identified would like to support the inclusion of disaster resilience as a consideration. This is a matter that PIA has been advocating for some time, as it is critical that infrastructure is located designed to be resilient in the face of more frequent extreme weather events that are occurring in our changing climate. The ability of infrastructure to support health wellbeing is also an important aspect that we would ask be included in the considerations for the Plan. Healthy planning is a topic that PIA has been advocating on for the last decade, in conjunction with the Heart Foundation, including issues such as transport infrastructure that supports active travel options. We note that active transport networks integrated with public transport infrastructure can improve community health well being contribute to reducing the number of car trips made reduce road congestion, as currently 50 per cent of car trips are less than 5 kilometres in length. We also support the elements of the submission made by the Australian Institute of Lscape Architects regarding the importance of green infrastructure, particularly regarding the infrastructure investment program. Increased use of public debt to support investment can provide a smarter approach to delivering economic infrastructure, provided investments are well-considered, wellexecuted make a definitively positive contribution to the economy. Public debt can also provide intergenerational equity around infrastructure investments by distributing costs between current future taxpayers who will benefit from the provision of enhanced infrastructure. Recommendation 2.4 All governments should ensure that processes are in place to deliver high-quality, well-designed, higher density development, connected to infrastructure public amenities. Mechanisms available to government include: At state territory level, governments should ensure that statutory planning instruments deliver highquality design they should examine options to encourage good design through providing incentives in the planning approval process; State territory governments should integrate their metropolitan l-use transport planning processes to ensure that the delivery of new housing is located near transport infrastructure; At the local level, governments should align the delivery of higher density developments with related upgrades to community infrastructure amenities. Planning Institute of Australia Page 4 of 9

5 benefits for resilience, climate change mitigation health. Evidence based policy PIA supports evidence based policy for infrastructure reform investment believes that detailed information consistent reporting on infrastructure performance is critical for good decision making. Recommendation 7.4 Where this has not already begun, state, territory local governments should demonstrate integration of active transport strategies through transport l-use planning. Governments should provide active transport that is connected, accessible safe, encourage shifts to more efficient, sustainable transport options to improve transport sustainability provide greater public amenity. Recommendation 9.5 Prior to deciding to fund an infrastructure investment, governments should undertake project development studies. This work will materially increase the quality of decision making through enabling the proponent to underst the problem that needs to be addressed; developing a range of options to address it; identifying the solution that will deliver the greatest benefit; determining the best approach to deliver the project. Recommendation 9.7 Infrastructure Australia will develop National Governance Principles in partnership with governments the private sector to support better project decision making across the public infrastructure sector. Key components of the National Governance Principles are likely to include: Development of long-term, integrated infrastructure plans; Publication of full project business cases, including supporting data analysis; Planning Institute of Australia Page 5 of 9

6 Completion of in-depth community engagement; Commitment to the preparation publication of robust post-completion reviews once a project has been delivered throughout the lifecycle. Once they are established, the Australian Government should make the provision of infrastructure project funding to state, territory local governments contingent on compliance with the National Governance Principles. Planning Institute of Australia Page 6 of 9

7 MAP OF AUSTRALIAN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS AGAINST RELEVANT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM MOVING AUSTRALIA 2030 Through the Sting Council on Transport Infrastructure: Agree on a mechanism to conduct congestion charging trials in capital major cities Analyse the potential network wide benefits costs of introducing variable congestion pricing on existing tolled roads or lanes Analyse the benefits costs of providing alternative travel choices within the areas that road use charges are collected Undertake comprehensive community education information programmes about congestion charging Recommendation 5.3 The Australian Government should initiate a public inquiry, to be led by a body like the Productivity Commission or Infrastructure Australia, into the existing funding framework for roads development of a road user charging reform pathway. The public inquiry should consider: Flaws in the existing charging framework including fairness, financial sustainability economic efficiency; The optimal approach for road user charging transport infrastructure funding in Australia; The social implications of charging reform, including transitional distributional impacts of replacing current taxation with direct user charges; A detailed reform pathway for transition to a full user pays model for roads covering the whole network all users. A public inquiry into road user charging reform should be supported by large-scale voluntary trials of road user charging options, funded by the Australian Government Recommendation 5.4 Federal, state territory governments should commit to the full implementation of a heavy vehicle road charging structure in the next five years. This reform must include the removal of all existing registration usage charges under the PayGo model the introduction of supporting regulatory investment frameworks. Planning Institute of Australia Page 7 of 9

8 Establish an Australian Government portfolio which will: Integrate l use transport planning considerations at an Australian Government level; Oversee the adoption implementation of Capital Cities Planning Criteria agreed to by the Council of Australian Governments; Oversee the delivery of an exped Liveable Cities programme funding set of projects; Through research evidence gathering, assist State Local Governments to improve structure concept planning for new l development areas to reflect best practice in integrated l use transport planning Recommendation 5.5 Federal, state territory governments should also commit to the full implementation of a light vehicle road charging structure in the next 10 years. This reform must include the removal of all existing inefficient taxes including fuel excise registration charges the development of supporting regulatory investment frameworks. Recommendation 9.7 Infrastructure Australia will develop National Governance Principles in partnership with governments the private sector to support better project decision making across the public infrastructure sector. Key components of the National Governance Principles are likely to include: Development of long-term, integrated infrastructure plans; Publication of full project business cases, including supporting data analysis; Completion of in-depth community engagement; Commitment to the preparation publication of robust post-completion reviews once a project has been delivered throughout the lifecycle. Once they are established, the Australian Government should make the provision of infrastructure project funding to state, territory local governments contingent on compliance with the National Governance Principles Planning Institute of Australia Page 8 of 9

9 MAP OF AUSTRALIAN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS AGAINST RELEVANT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM A NEW DEAL FOR URBAN AUSTRALIA Infrastructure Australia to provide advice to the Australian Government on priority projects to be funded through the Urban Infrastructure Fund, evaluated using broad cost-benefit analysis against the goals of the National Urban Policy Recommendation 1.1 The Australian Government should establish Infrastructure Reform Incentives, which link additional infrastructure funding to the delivery of reform outcomes. This mechanism would encourage state, territory local governments to deliver productivity enhancing reforms to the planning, construction, operation, ownership governance of Australia s infrastructure. Infrastructure Reform Incentives should be aligned to key reforms recommended in this Plan including: improving the governance operation of our cities microeconomic reform across the energy, telecommunications, water transport sectors Recommendation 1.6 The Australian Government should consolidate its existing fragmented funding pools into an integrated transparent Infrastructure Fund. The consolidation of national funding programs for infrastructure would enable the Australian Government to prioritise investments based on national significance enable greater public transparency around Australian Government infrastructure funding decisions Planning Institute of Australia Page 9 of 9