Rising sea levels, water security and waste management are among the environmental challenges that Infrastructure Australia has, for the first time, elevated to the top tier of its priorities list. In its latest list, to be released on Wednesday, Infrastructure Australia said it was elevating environmental concerns because climate change was altering the water cycle and was projected to cause sea level rises of 0.4 to 0.6 metres. It also cited a renewed focus on “resilience” in the face of natural disasters. A national road maintenance strategy is also newly listed as a high priority, while new priorities include an Indigenous art and cultural facilities program, bolstering mobile telecommunications coverage in regional and remote areas, Sydney-Canberra rail connectivity and an east coast deepwater container port facility. Essential poll: a majority of Coalition voters support a net zero emissions target for 2050 Read more This year’s list drew on 249 submissions to make recommendations for a $58bn infrastructure pipeline of nationally significant projects, each supported by a business case and worth more than $30m a year to the Australian economy. It also has a list of desired “initiatives”, or potential infrastructure solutions to unsolved problems, which includes strategies to deal […]
Environmental concerns get top billing in Infrastructure Australia priority list for first time
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