The Hon Andrew Constance MP New South Wales Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Key points: • At $68.8 billion over the forward estimates, New South Wales is able to fund a record level of infrastructure because of asset and budget reforms. • The high level of committed investment in New South Wales does not yet include the projects funded from the electricity leases. • Strong partnerships with industry and the community sector are an important way to lead and shape the reform discussion. • The enlarged level of infrastructure activity in New South Wales is testing the public sector’s project management capabilities, but leaving a legacy of skilled procurers.
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futurebuilding
Volume 6 Number 1
We need to get politics out of infrastructure. Previously in New South Wales, politics took charge of infrastructure, and the community was left at an enormous disadvantage. Going forward, in New South Wales and all states, major political parties need to be on the same page in relation to infrastructure. This consensus is fundamental to reform. The poles and wires transaction in New South Wales is important to the community, and critical to the future prosperity of the state. The transaction was prosecuted successfully because the community understands that, through the recycling of capital, the Government is able to invest in more productive infrastructure. The other options were to raise debt or increase taxes to build infrastructure. However, our government chose to put in place mechanisms to recycle capital to start to reshape and rebuild New South Wales, and the results are now starting to show. The community is witnessing milestone mania in Sydney, with construction milestones achieved for the Sydney Metro Northwest and the International Convention Centre Sydney this week alone. The community is witnessing the Government getting on with building the programme promised to them. New South Wales is a growth state, and the progress is something to be excited about. As Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, my role is to ensure that we carefully plan our pipeline, and that we deliver our projects on budget and on time. As a government, we carefully consider the independent advice given to us by Infrastructure NSW and within the State Infrastructure Strategy, which was recently updated. This is an important tool that makes our long-term vision clear. To give us more visibility across the infrastructure programme, we’re implementing enhanced project assurance across the Government. We’re making sure that the right skills sit within agencies, and that the right
