Engineers Australia has welcomed Infrastructure Australia’s latest Infrastructure Priority List (IPL), which identifies five key areas critical to addressing the nation’s transport, water security, and energy challenges.
The IPL highlights priorities including high productivity freight networks, ports capacity and connectivity, high-capacity transport for growing cities, secure and sustainable water for growth, and the delivery of a net zero and clean energy economy.
The organisation said the list is intended to guide infrastructure investment and ensure funding is directed to projects that deliver the greatest national benefit.
Engineers Australia CEO Romilly Madew AO said improving infrastructure productivity would be central to the success of these initiatives.
“Infrastructure productivity is now a national economic issue, not just a delivery issue. It is central to strengthening our economy and quality of life,” Madew said.
She added that issues such as poor prioritisation, fragmented pipelines, weak early planning, and inconsistent procurement often contribute to cost overruns and delays.
“To help counter this, engineering expertise must be embedded earlier and more consistently in how infrastructure priorities are set, assessed and sequenced,” she said.
The IPL represents Infrastructure Australia’s evidence-based view of nationally significant infrastructure priorities, bringing together proposals submitted by federal and state governments that are ready for investment, either for planning or delivery.
Engineers Australia continues to advocate for stronger engineering capability within government, including the establishment of a National Chief Engineer to provide technical oversight and improve consistency across infrastructure portfolios.
“Embedding engineering leadership across decision-making processes will help ensure infrastructure delivers long-term value for all Australians,” Madew said.
