“Infrastructure Australia has released a roadmap for addressing our nationally significant infrastructure challenges that must be fully grasped by governments and the private sector,” Business Council chief executive Jennifer Westacott said today following the release last week of Infrastructure Australia's list of priority infrastructure.

“Infrastructure Australia’s priority list identifies around $60 billion of projects that have passed rigorous, independent cost-benefit analysis and are ready to go.

“The experts advise that these projects are needed to cater for population growth, relieve traffic congestion in our cities and deliver new opportunities for workers around our nation.

“The plan underscores the importance of Infrastructure Australia as a trusted, independent authority advising governments on projects that constitute value-for-money.

“Now that we know these projects stack up, it’s time for our politicians to put their faith in the expertise of Infrastructure Australia and work together to ensure these projects are funded and delivered.

“It will also be important for governments to heed Infrastructure Australia’s recommendations to reserve the corridors now that will be needed to build the infrastructure of the future.

“Amid public frustration at the seeming inability of politicians to get things done, this list provides an opportunity for the governing class to prove their doubters wrong.”

Infrastructure Australia Infrastructure Priority List, February 2017