The Victorian Parliament has today passed legislation creating Infrastructure Victoria, delivering a key election commitment from the Andrews Labor Government and giving certainty for our infrastructure pipeline.
A landmark reform, Infrastructure Victoria will take short term politics out of infrastructure planning, and keep our pipeline of major projects full to grow our economy and create jobs.
The new independent body will be tasked with ensuring Victoria’s immediate and long-term infrastructure needs are identified and prioritised based on objective, transparent analysis and evidence.
Infrastructure Victoria will consult widely, consider the needs of the whole state and prioritise the projects that deliver the best results.
The new expert body will be required to publicly release a 30-year Infrastructure Strategy detailing short, medium and long-term infrastructure needs and priorities.
In response, the Government will be required to develop a five-year Infrastructure Plan outlining priority projects and funding commitments. Infrastructure Victoria will assess the Government’s progress against this plan.
The expert body will also support government decisions by assessing business cases for major projects, and publishing research on a range of infrastructure issues from schools, hospitals, water, arts and cultural facilities.
Infrastructure Victoria will give the community and the private sector greater certainty about our infrastructure needs, and the Labor Government’s strong plan to meet them.
Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews
“Infrastructure Victoria will ensure that despite whoever is in power, there is a pipeline of infrastructure meeting the State’s needs.”
“We’re getting on with supporting Victorian jobs and making sure we stay number one, and we won’t ask Victorians to support dud, last minute plans for projects that don’t stack up.”
Quotes attributable to the Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings
“For too long, evidence and transparency have been secondary considerations when it’s come to Victoria’s infrastructure decisions.”
“The community expects that critical decisions on infrastructure should be based on priorities not politics and Infrastructure Victoria will do just that.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020