A call to establish a new independent infrastructure advisory authority in Victoria tops off Master Builders’ list of calls to action in our latest annual Pre-Budget submission to the State Government.

The new body would have the power to investigate long term infrastructure needs to support a growing population as well as identifying innovative funding, procurement and delivery options for major projects in partnership with industry.

This would help ensure infrastructure funds are directed where they are needed most and ensure a steady pipeline of major capital works projects are secured for the local construction industry.

Based on the experience of similar bodies elsewhere, we believe an independent infrastructure umpire would also help ensure Victoria receives its fair share of national funding.

The State Government has a significant infrastructure program it wants to progress – a program strongly supported by Master Builders – that includes East West Link, substantial port upgrades in Melbourne and Hastings and a new train line through the central city. Pioneering funding arrangements will be needed to get future major projects off the ground and support jobs and investment in non-residential construction. Identifying new solutions would be at the heart of this new authority’s work.

The Pre-Budget submission focuses on how we can stimulate investment in commercial construction and also includes calls from Master Builders for:

  • Annually releasing a pipeline of government-funded capital works to help construction companies and sub-contractors better plan for future projects;
  • Continuing work to reduce the number of level crossings;
  • Supporting public private partnerships and trialling partial bid cost contributions, like those included in the East West Link (Stage 1) procurement model;
  • Investigating privatisation opportunities of state-owned public assets to fund new major commercial construction projects; and
  • Improving the development assessment processes for new infrastructure projects.

Click here to see Master Builders’ Pre-Budget submission. The report also includes our latest commercial construction activity forecasts.

You can also hear more about directly from the State Government when Treasurer Michael O’Brien addresses our 2014 Conference in late February.