30 June 2010
The new National Infrastructure Priority List, handed to Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese today, should be released as soon as possible, according to the Urban Taskforce.
“The Prime Minister has criticised our cities’ capacity to absorb population growth,” Mr Gadiel said.
This week the Minister for Sustainable Population, Tony Burke, made it clear that the Federal Government’s population policy will focus on where people live, rather than overall population numbers.
In March Treasury secretary Ken Henry suggested that Sydney or Melbourne could sustainably expand to 10 million people if governments corrected the national failure of infrastructure planning.
“The Federal Government is no longer just commenting from the sidelines – it has effectively assumed responsibility for the expansion and growth of our cities,” Mr Gadiel said.
“It seems federal policy will now decide the future shape of our urban communities.
“This responsibility carries with it the obligation to fund our cities’ infrastructure requirements as the demand for housing, shopping precincts and new workplaces continues to grow.”
Mr Gadiel said the public release of the revised National Infrastructure Priority List would be crucial to understanding the Federal Government’s approach to these issues.
“The recent federal budget took no new action to advance $32 billion in urban infrastructure projects identified as part of Infrastructure Australias ˜priority pipeline, Mr Gadiel said.
In last years budget, the federal government allocated funding to $4.5 billion of urban transport projects on the recommendation of Infrastructure Australia.
This was a good start, but it left eight key urban transport projects unfunded, each identified by Infrastructure Australia as part of a ˜priority pipeline of projects.
The projects included:
- $14.8 billion for Brisbanes public transport system;
- $13.1 billion for Sydneys public transport system;
- $2.6 billion in Queensland motorway improvements; and
- $700 million for the Mornington Peninsula Connector Road in Victoria.
Sydney and Brisbanes public transport system is yet to be funded by the Federal Government, despite the generous assistance extended to other state capitals,” Mr Gadiel said.
We’re looking for the Federal Government to commit to an annual rolling program of funding cities infrastructure, including expanded public transport, motorways and key arterial roads crucial to growth.”
“The Federal Government has placed cities infrastructure front-and-centre in the community’s mind.
“They now need to release of the revised National Infrastructure Priority List and make a commitment to fund the new infrastructure our cities need.”
The Urban Taskforce is a property development industry group, representing Australias most prominent property developers and equity financiers.
The construction activity made possible by property developers contributes $78 billion to the national economy each year and creates 849,000 direct jobs.
