It is a truism that taxpayers’ money should not be used for personal gain. This should be ingrained into every person employed on the public purse, but as this, and so many other Ombudsman investigations in past years illustrate, it is not always the case. This investigation focuses on the use of public funds by...

Overview Construction of Hong Kong’s metro railway was funded solely from the sale of development rights around stations. Close to one third of London’s CrossRail is being funded by levies on nearby businesses. ‘Value capture’ is back in fashion, and the calls are growing louder for Australia to tap into these seemingly wonderful revenue streams.

Plan Melbourne builds on the legacy of values that have made Melbourne one of the most liveable cities in the world. It is a long-term plan to accommodate Melbourne’s future growth in population and employment. It contains an agenda to protect the character of the city while tackling the challenges of affordable housing, congestion, access...

Forget what you’ve heard about infrastructure – it might be time to put the politics back in

IN OCTOBER 1970, a young Laurie Oakes interviewed an old Sir John McEwen, the legendary leader of the Country Party (now the Nationals), long-time deputy and strong right arm of Sir Robert Menzies. One of the things the old warrior had to tell him was why he admired so much his former adversary, the Labor...