Media release
3 September 2021
Infrastructure Australia’s 2021 Australian Infrastructure Plan provides a clear, pragmatic way forward for the equitable delivery of infrastructure – particularly in new communities in growth areas where the scale of the infrastructure gap is vast and widening at a more rapid rate than we’ve ever seen due to the stimulus-driven housing boom.
“In Australia’s outer urban growth areas, paddocks are rapidly being transformed into postcodes, but the necessary infrastructure that communities need to flourish can take years – sometimes decades – to arrive,” said Bronwen Clark, Chief Executive Officer of the National Growth Areas Alliance (NGAA).
“Infrastructure and services must be equally accessible to the five million people who live in outer urban areas – and the millions more who will move there over next 15 years. It’s important that we have a long-term plan for infrastructure to keep up with the pace of growth in the outer suburbs,” Ms Clark said.
NGAA welcomes the Plan’s focus on infrastructure resilience, noting that existing and future infrastructure must be able to adapt to the rapid change in land use and populations in growth areas.
“Whether it is ensuring transport systems can adapt to sudden increased demand when a new suburb is built, or planning infrastructure systems to secure the safety of newly established communities responding to natural disasters, resilience is a vital issue for growth areas.”
The reforms of greatest importance to outer urban growth areas relate to transport, community and social infrastructure. The long-term roadmap provided by the 2021 Plan will help shape the delivery of existing and future infrastructure so that it is allocated equitably and is responsive to the needs of growing communities.
The NGAA represents local government in the fast-growing outer urban areas of our capital cities, home to more than 20% of the Australian population. The outer urban growth areas population has continued to increase even during the pandemic, highlighting the need for policy makers to focus on the infrastructure needs of the outer suburbs.
The NGAA provided input to Infrastructure Australia on the 2021 Plan and is pleased that the concerns of the five million residents of growth areas are well represented.
Contact: Bronwen Clark, Executive Officer National Growth Areas Alliance – 0448 401 257
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