Reckless government investment decisions are sadly the norm when it comes to transport infrastructure. Three key checks on the decision-making process can help ensure taxpayers get value for money.
- Transport and Cities Program Director, Grattan Institute
Once again the federal government has given more infrastructure funding to Queensland, ignoring less politically important states like Victoria.
Ducking hard choices means avoiding change that could make a real improvement to the effectiveness of Australia’s infrastructure.
Our infrastructure systems should promise what is worth having, and then deliver what is promised.
Charging people to drive has been the dream of policy wonks – serving politicians tend to see it as political poison. So when federal minister Paul Fletcher raises it, that’s a step forward.
Bigger cities increase wages, output and innovation, but also problems of congestion and pollution. Congestion charges can minimise these problems by dramatically improving traffic flows.
What are the key policy challenges facing the new Turnbull government in terms of economic growth and budgets, cities, transport, energy, school education, higher education and health?
The Coalition, Labor, and the Greens are making substantial commitments to projects that not only lack proper business cases, but are not even on the Infrastructure Australia priority list at all.
Labor says that public sector infrastructure investment has fallen 20% under the Abbott-Turnbull government. Is that right?
How can we tell whether we have an infrastructure deficit? And if we do, how big is it?
If the system was fixed project funding would be more likely to be based on merit.
Poor project selection is undermining economic growth in Australia.
Driverless cars and the use of drones are just two things the Innovation Statement should address.
A research focus on transport can help improve existing infrastructure and guide future developments, and tailor them to Australia’s unique needs.
The two announcements in the federal budget beg the question: is a piece of infrastructure really needed or is it being built to buy popularity?
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