A Shorten Labor Government will establish a truly independent Infrastructure Australia to broker new investment, create jobs and drive nation building projects.

Infrastructure is one of the big challenges for Australia for the next decade - it must be at the centre of any credible plan for Australia’s future.

For too long, infrastructure priorities have been beholden to the political priorities of governments.

Labor will end this.

Labor will take the politics out of infrastructure and put the nation’s interest at the heart of nation-building.

We will do this by ensuring a truly independent Infrastructure Australia, with a new central role in Government, more resources and greater authority.

Infrastructure Australia’s mandate will be strengthened to help drive economic growth and Labor will provide a $18.5 million boost to IA to strengthen its role as a pivotal economic body.

Just as the Reserve Bank of Australia is the independent authority at the centre of monetary policy, Infrastructure Australia will be at the centre of capital investment, driving results that are in the national interest.

Labor will ensure Infrastructure Australia’s will evolve from a passive body collecting priority projects from State governments, to an active participant in the infrastructure market, working in the national interest to bring the right nation building projects to fruition.

Under Labor, Infrastructure Australia will play a key leadership role in facilitating new major infrastructure projects. It will work with the states and private sector financiers, super funds and constructors to broker deals, get more projects underway, get them financed and have them delivered.

A Shorten Labor Government will properly consult the Opposition on all board appointments and restore faith and confidence in the infrastructure process.

Restoring trend growth and smoothing the transition in our economy depends upon new, productive investment.

New infrastructure projects boost demand in the short term and lift supply over the long term, creating jobs and generating national momentum back to trend growth.

Not just rail and roads, but new ports and bridges, better social housing, smart energy grids, efficient irrigation projects and of course, the best digital infrastructure.

The Abbott Government has ignored priority infrastructure, focusing instead on political decisions.

In Government, Labor funded all 15 major projects on the priority list, the Pacific Highway in New South Wales, Regional Rail in Victoria and Gold Coast Light Rail in Queensland.

But the Abbott Government has not funded a single priority project, in fact they have cut funding for two and have ripped away half of Infrastructure Australia’s budget.

A Shorten Labor Government will establish a truly independent Infrastructure Australia to drive new investment, jobs and deliver nation building projects.
THURSDAY, 14 MAY 2015

MEDIA CONTACT: LEADER’S OFFICE MEDIA UNIT 02 6277 4053