Government begins talks with industry on Productivity Commission’s inquiry into infrastructure.
The Federal Government has held its first industry roundtable meeting on the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into infrastructure.
The meeting in Adelaide coincided with the beginning of consultations with the states, starting with New South Wales, about financing infrastructure projects.
The Productivity Commission found that improvements must be made to the financing, governance and delivery of new infrastructure in Australia.
“We are particularly keen to work with the states and the private sector to improve project tendering, selection and financing so we can build more for less and more quickly,” federal assistant infrastructure minister Jamie Briggs says.
Briggs says meetings with industry and state governments will help shape the Federal Government’s response to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry later this year.
He says improving the delivery of infrastructure projects includes addressing barriers to private sector investment, developing financing models to fast-track major projects and reducing construction costs.
Briggs supports the use of toll roads to bankroll projects, but South Australia has rejected the move.
“We want to make sure the best practices are in place to encourage private investment and deliver these projects over the next decade and into the future,” Briggs says.
“We also want to build our reputation as a hub of infrastructure excellence in the southern hemisphere.”