Infrastructure priority list widened to aid Covid-19 recovery

Twelve new
projects, including road upgrades in suburban and regional Queensland, have
been added to the nation’s infrastructure priority list.

The updated list, comprising 155 projects in all, was published on Wednesday by Infrastructure Australia (IA), the Federal Government’s independent infrastructure adviser.

Sydney’s M12
motorway, two suburban rail proposals in Perth, and the modernisation of the
Australian Institute of Sport in the ACT also were added to the list.

Priority initiatives are developments that IA identifies as having potential to help the economy recover from the coronavirus recession. Unlike priority projects, however, they have not been subject to a business case.

IA chief
executive Romilly Madew said the priority list could act as a “critical tool”
in Australia’s recovery from the pandemic.

“It directs
investment to the infrastructure projects that will kickstart economic growth
and have the greatest returns for all Australians,” Ms Madew said.

“Australia is planning its recovery from a rolling series of crises: drought, flood, the bushfires and now Covid-19. As we look forward, the focus is on … continuing to improve our ability to move quickly to identify investments that will improve productivity.”