Major projects
NARROWER TERMS
Report
Independent review of Infrastructure Australia
This review report and federal government response is intended to support reinstating Infrastructure Australia's position as the expert advisor to the Commonwealth on nationally significant infrastructure.
Report
Australian rail market outlook - December 2022
This report examines the outlook for Australia’s railway construction and maintenance work for the next 10 years and presents the key drivers of activity at a national and state level.
Report
Infrastructure election monitor: Victorian red book
This report outlines the Andrews Government's infrastructure policy and project commitments ahead of its third term in government, and includes an overview of public infrastructure investment and market dynamics.
Report
Decarbonising construction: putting carbon in the business case
This report asserts that an embedded (or embodied) carbon ‘base case’ should be included in all business cases for infrastructure projects and programs in Australia over $100 million in capital cost.
Report
The Suburban Rail Loop: not needed, not fit for purpose and a debt bomb
This report examines the merits of the Victorian government's decision to invest in the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) project, as part of their overall 'Big Build' infrastructure policy.
Report
The planning, construction and management of the Western Sydney Airport project
This inquiry report finds that the purchase of the Leppington Triangle land for the Western Sydney Airport project has breached the social contract between the Commonwealth and the public, by not providing any clear value for money and by creating arbitrary differences between landholders with...
Report
Snowy 2.0 governance of early implementation
The objective of this audit was to examine the effectiveness of Snowy Hydro Limited’s governance arrangements for early implementation of Snowy 2.0, the expansion to the Snowy Hydro Scheme.
Position paper
Infrastructure in a world moving to net zero
Governments have an obligation to use their position to not only deliver infrastructure and services, but to also drive policy outcomes in support of the nation’s net zero policy goals. This paper highlights some simple first steps that governments around Australia should consider.
Report
Dam bad ideas – the lack of economic evidence for dam building in Australia
This paper argues that while dams have come to perform an important symbolic function in Australian politics, there is no evidence that their economic function is proportionate to their cost.
Strategy
Delivering outcomes: a roadmap to improve infrastructure industry productivity and innovation
A transformational change is needed in how we plan and deliver infrastructure in Australia. The reforms in this roadmap focus on changes to the way projects are procured and delivered, however the consequences reach into how an asset is managed, operated and maintained across its...
Report
Inland Rail: derailed from the start
The Inland Rail project has the potential to provide significant benefit to rural, regional and urban communities — enabling a more efficient movement of freight across Australia and further diversification of the nation’s freight infrastructure. However, throughout this inquiry, the committee heard a number of...
Report
Build it here: the economic cost of offshoring major transport projects in New South Wales
This report quantifies the forgone local economic activity to New South Wales resulting from offshoring major projects, through an examination of six major procurements made by the NSW government.
Case study
Collaborative nation building: Port of Townsville case study
This report looks at what’s happening in the Townsville region, using the Port of Townsville as an example of what’s possible when planning and embarking upon major infrastructure developments. It also examines what others at the regional, state and national levels of government can pursue...
Report
Megabang for megabucks: driving a harder bargain on megaprojects
Taxpayers end up paying too much for major road and rail projects in Australia because governments don’t drive a hard bargain on contracts with the big construction firms. This report argues that federal and state governments should stop worrying about the profitability of the industry...
Briefing paper
Changing the game: a critical analysis of large-scale corruption in mega-sport event infrastructure projects
This paper highlights the ramifications of corruption in Mega-Sport Event (MSE) infrastructure, a reoccurring issue in MSE history resulting in poor quality and inflated constructions. Issues are assessed across major events, finding concerns in project planning and ineffective channels to report wrongdoing.
Report
Infrastructure beyond COVID-19: a national study on the impacts of the pandemic on Australia
This report assesses the causes and lasting consequences of COVID-related trends on Australian infrastructure development.
Report
Fairer funding and financing of faster rail
This report highlights the importance of faster rail investment in Australia’s economic recovery, and proposes a fairer and more sustainable funding approach.
Report
The rise of megaprojects: counting the costs
Australian governments are fast-tracking their transport projects, hoping for an infrastructure-led recovery from the pandemic-induced recession. This report argues that governments need to rethink major projects that have been promised or are under construction, particularly those announced without a business case.
Journal article
Developing a neighbourhood: Exploring construction projects from a project ecology perspective
As a consequence of ongoing urbanisation, construction projects are likely to be performed in multi-project contexts. Zooming out from the single project and focussing on the context in which construction projects are performed is suggested as a way to broaden our understanding and develop new...
Conference paper
Does your decision-making process protect customer value?
This paper explores how Choosing by Advantages (CBA) supports the making of deliberate decisions based on values and thereby helps to deliver value for a project.
Conference paper
Virtual design and construction application during the bidding stage of infrastructure projects
The bidding stage of infrastructure projects involves dealing with high levels of uncertainty and risks, as information at the early stage of the projects are often incomplete. This article aims to present the case study of Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) implementation at the bidding...
Conference paper
Application of the Last Planner System in a sports infrastructure project in Peru
This paper sums up the application of the Last Planner on a large sports infrastructure project in Peru for the Pan-American Games, focusing on MEP phase and finishing works. It offers an overview of the implementation of LPS and its impact on the indicators of...
Conference paper
Lean construction quality assurance opportunities in highway construction
Quality management is a significant component of any construction project and the cost of quality can constitute a sizable part of total construction cost. US state highway agencies are in constant pressure to do more with less, so applying Lean construction management principles can be...
Strategy
National rail action plan
This plan is an agreed set of actions that will be undertaken by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments and key members of the rail industry.
Report
Community perceptions of Australia’s infrastructure
The aim of this research was to ascertain an understanding of community sentiment relating to infrastructure and associated sectors, as well as organisational perceptions and awareness relating to Infrastructure Australia the organisation.