A bill ensuring the independence of Infrastructure Australia has been passed in Parliament
The Infrastructure Australia (IA) Amendment Bill has been passed in Parliament today, a move which has been welcomed by the Moving People 2030 Taskforce.
The bill will ensure the future independence of IA and its ability to review and prioritise all types of infrastructure projects for the nation.
Taskforce Spokesperson Bus Industry Confederation Executive Director Michael Apps says this is a positive outcome for the industry with the amendments allowing IA to prioritise projects independently without any influence from the Federal Government.
“The key role of IA is to take infrastructure investment out of political cycles by advising the Government and ensuring all infrastructure projects can make the priority list if they measure up,” he says.
“The 29 Senate amendments passed in the bill will cement IA’s independence allowing it to asses and prioritise the nation’s important infrastructure projects regardless of mode.
“This will in turn put public transport projects back on the Federal Government’s radar, after public transport projects not under construction were all removed in the 2014-15 Budget.
“It will ensure all major infrastructure projects, whether Brisbane’s Bus and Train Tunnel project, the Melbourne Metro, the Sydney Rapid Transit or a major highway can be compared directly for the economic benefits it provides the nation,” he says.
The Moving People 2030 Taskforce made a number of recommendations in its submission in the Inquiry into the Infrastructure Australia Amendment Bill.
This was to seek assurance that IA maintained its capacity to provide independent and transparent advice to the Australian Government on the long term infrastructure needs of this country.
“The Moving People 2030 Taskforce is extremely pleased with this result and commends the Abbot Government on conceding to these amendments which will keep IA transparent and independent and allow it to efficiently prioritise the nation’s major infrastructure projects,” says Apps.