AUSTRALIA 2013 30 September MLC Centre, Sydney
INFRASTRUCTURE BUSINESS AND POLICY DIALOGUE Cutting through the infrastructure impasse: ways and means EVENT PROGRAM
AUSTRALIA, 2013
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Welcome address On behalf of the Organising Committee, I am delighted to welcome you to Infrastructure Business and Policy Dialogue: Cutting through the infrastructure impasse: ways and means. This event marks the commencement of a genuine and co-ordinated global infrastructure research and policy development program about long term infrastructure planning and management. We have brought together the best and sharpest minds from industry, government and academia to work together to create not only best practice benchmarks but new knowledge to better inform national and jurisdictional-wide infrastructure strategies for long term prosperity. We look forward to all attendees becoming deeply engaged in exploring key infrastructure challenges throughout the day as we present an impressive program of speakers and panel discussions. Garry Bowditch CEO SMART Infrastructure Facility University of Wollongong
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Event program CUTTING THROUGH THE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPASSE: WAYS AND MEANS
MONDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2013 Level 47, MLC Centre, 19 Martin Pl
08:45 REGISTRATIONS 09:00
Mr Philip Marcus Clark AM Welcome and opening
09:10
Ms Jennifer Westacott Chief Executive Officer, Business Council of Australia What business needs to deliver the infrastructure Australia needs
09:35
Mr Rick Sawers Group Executive, Product & Markets, National Australia Bank Combining the power of government and financial services to fund our future
10:00
Prof Henry Ergas Drivers of infrastructure costs
Chairman, Australian Government Education Investment Fund Advisory Board
Professor of Infrastructure Economics, SMART Infrastructure Facility, University of Wollongong
10:25 INFRASTRUCTURE RISKS AND FUNDING PANEL Chair: Mr Garry Bowditch Chief Executive Officer, SMART Infrastructure Facility, University of Wollongong Panel: Prof Henry Ergas Professor of Infrastructure Economics, SMART Infrastructure Facility The Hon Nick Greiner AC Former Premier, New South Wales Mr Rick Sawers Group Executive, Product & Markets, National Australia Bank Ms Jennifer Westacott Chief Executive Officer, Business Council of Australia 11:05
MORNING TEA
11:35
Dr Ken Henry AC Chairman, SMART Infrastructure Facility Advisory Council, University of Wollongong Asia and Australia in the 21st century: can we rise to a new infrastructure challenge
12:00
Mr Rod Sims Chairman, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Future regulatory outlook for infrastructure and what it means for investors and governments alike
12:25
LEND LEASE LUNCHEON Special Guest Speaker
14:00
Dr Ian Oppermann Director, Digital Productivity and Services Flagship, CSIRO Smart planning for smart infrastructure
14:20
Mr Martin Locke Partner, PwC Unlocking the infrastructure funding impasse
14:40
AFTERNOON TEA
14:55
Mr Gordon Noble Director, Investment and Economy, Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) A reform agenda to address impediments to superannuation investment in infrastructure: a super fund perspective read more
15:15
Mr Paul Oppenheim Managing Director, The Plenary Group A private sector perspective on PPPs
15:35
Senator Arthur Sinodinos AO invited
The Hon Mike Baird MP, NSW Treasurer and Minister for Industrial Relations
Assistant Treasurer
15:55 DIRECTORS-GENERAL PANEL - How can we improve priority setting for infrastructure in Australia? Chair: Mr Garry Bowditch Chief Executive Officer, SMART Infrastructure Facility, University of Wollongong Panel: Mr David Edwards Director-General, QLD Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Mr Philip Gaetjens Secretary, NSW Treasury Mr Rod Hook Chief Executive Officer, SA Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure Mr Les Wielinga Director General, Transport for NSW 17:05
Mr Garry Bowditch Closing comments
17:15
COCKTAIL RECEPTION
Chief Executive Officer, SMART Infrastructure Facility, University of Wollongong
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Contributors The Hon. Mike Baird, MP
POSITION NSW Treasurer and Minister for
Industrial Relations BIO Following the election of the NSW Lib-
eral and Nationals Government on 26 March 2011, Mike Baird was appointed Treasurer of NSW. In September 2012 he was also appointed Minister for Industrial Relations. Mike had served as Shadow Treasurer since December 2008 and previously as Shadow Minister for Energy, Finance and Youth Affairs. Mike was elected Member for Manly in 2007 after an 18-year banking career incorporating corporate banking, securitisation, debt capital markets and project finance in Australia, London and Hong Kong. Career highlights include managing corporate finance transactions across a range of industries for Deutsche Bank and Head of Originations, debt capital markets in London for the NAB. Prior to his election to Parliament, Mike was Head of Institutional Banking for HSBC in Australia and New Zealand.
Plan Advisory Group and Member of the University of Wollongong Research Council. He is also an adviser to the new government body, Infrastructure NSW and is an appointed member of the Australia Pacific Economic Cooperation Committee (PECC) to advise on regional trade and investment initiatives in APEC. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Macquarie Graduate School of Management and an Honours degree in Economics from the University of Wollongong. He also studied at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Washington DC.
Mr Philip Marcus Clark AM
POSITION Chairman, Australian Government
Education Investment Fund Advisory Board TOPIC Opening Address
Philip Clark AM is a member of the J P Morgan Advisory Council. He was Managing Partner and CEO of Minter Ellison and worked with that firm from 1995 until June 2005.
Research Impact Member, Chief Scientist’s Australian Research Committee Expert Advisory Group. His work in the not-for profit sector includes positions as a Chairman of St James Ethics Centre, High Resolves Foundation, Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience Indigenous Corporation (AIME) and Karen Lynch Foundation. Phil also served as a Director of the Garvan Foundation from 2005 to 2008. Phil serves on the Advisory Council of Europe Australia Business Council, is a member of the Australian Davos Connection and has been a delegate to each of the Trans Tasman Leaders Forums. He was previously a member of the Business Council of Australia and a delegate to the Australia 2020 Summit. Phil has Bachelor degrees in Arts and Law from Sydney University and an MBA from Columbia University. He was appointed as a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia in 2007 for his contribution to the development of national law firms and encouraging corporate involvement in community programs.
Mr David Edwards
BIO Prior to joining Minter Ellison, Phil was
Mr Garry Bowditch
POSITION Chief Executive Officer,
SMART Infrastructure Facility BIO Garry is the inaugural CEO of the
SMART Infrastructure Facility, University of Wollongong. With almost 20 years of commercial and Government experience spanning Australia, Asia and the OECD, Garry has a wealth of experience, insight and ‘blue chip’ networks to help SMART achieve its goals with government and business within Australia and internationally. Currently he is an Expert Panel Member of the ITRC (Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortia) at Oxford University; Board Member of AURIN (Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network) at Melbourne University; Director, Smart Services Cooperative Research Centre; Transport Specialist on the NSW Long Term Transport Master
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Director and Head of Corporate with ABN Amro Australia and prior to that he was Managing Partner of Mallesons Stephen Jaques for 16 years. Earlier in his career he worked with a Pratt Industries subsidiary and with Shell Australia. Phil now serves on a number of boards and advisory boards. His appointments include: Member of the JP Morgan Advisory Council Chair of the Australian Government’s Education Investment Fund Advisory Board, one of the three Nation Building Funds Chair, Tasmanian Infrastructure Advisory Council Chair, Royal Hobart Hospital Redevelopment Review and Advisory Committee Chair, NSW Government Task Force on International Education and Research Director Ingenia Communities Group (INA), listed trust, retirement villages Chair, M+K Lawyers Holdings Pty Ltd Chair, Advent Lawyers Pty Ltd Chair, Aurora Projects Pty Ltd Chair, Development Advisory Board for
POSITION Director-General, QLD
Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning BIO David’s professional background is in
economics, infrastructure, project management and public policy. Prior to being appointed Director-General of the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning (DSDIP) in April 2012, David’s previous positions included Manager of Strategy and Market Development for GHD, a global engineering and professional services company, and State Director for the Committee for Economic Development of Australia, Australia’s oldest independent economic think tank. Prior to that David worked in senior roles in several Government agencies including the Department of State Development and the Department of Premier and Cabinet. David’s role at DSDIP sees him leading the state’s central, economic development agency driving state development, major projects facilitation, assessment and approvals, planning reform, and infrastructure
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planning and delivery. DSDIP has assets valued at $1.6B, a budget of $237M and revenues of over $200M. In addition to his role as Director-General, David is chairman of Economic Development Queensland, Deputy Chair of the Gold Coast Infrastructure Authority, a director of Southbank Corporation and a member of Infrastructure Queensland.
Professor Henry Ergas
analysis of pricing and investment decisions in regulated infrastructure industries. Professor Ergas is also a regular columnist in The Australian and Senior Economic Adviser at Deloitte Access Economics.
Mr Philip Gaetjens
POSITION Secretary, NSW Treasury BIO Philip is Secretary to the NSW Treasury
POSITION Professor of Infrastructure
Economics, SMART Infrastructure Facility, University of Wollongong TOPIC Drivers of Infrastructure Costs ABSTRACT Infrastructure is the sinew of
nations and vital to support economic development and increase living standards in the long-run. But it is clear that, over the past decade in Australia, infrastructure costs have risen dramatically. While immediate drivers, such as rising materials and labour costs, are readily identified, it is important to understand the underlying causes. These are numerous, complex and interconnected and relate not only to the cost of inputs but to the regulatory, standards, contracting and governance arrangements that critically influence input costs.
and Chairman of NSW Treasury Corporation. He was previously Secretary of the GST Distribution Review in the Australian Treasury. He also established and headed the APEC Policy Support Unit (PSU) which provides analytical and research capability in support of APEC’s work on economic, trade and investment issues. Between March 1997 and December 2007 he was Chief of Staff in the Office of the Australian Treasurer, the Hon Peter Costello MP. Philip has also held senior positions in the South Australian Department of Treasury and Finance and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. In these roles he focused on microeconomic reform issues including competition policy and structural reform in the transport, communications and energy sectors.
The paper will present the framework for undertaking this analysis as well as early results from the study so far.
The Hon Nick Greiner AC
BIO Professor Ergas held a range of leading
positions at the OECD before returning to Australia in the mid-1990s. He chaired the Australian Intellectual Property and Competition Review Committee for the Australian Government in 1999-2000 and was a member of the Prime Minister’s Export Infrastructure Task Force in 2005 and the Defence Industry Policy Review in 2006. He has published extensively on infrastructure regulation and cost-benefit analysis. As well as his work at the OECD, Professor Ergas’ career includes appointments with the National University of Singapore, the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the Centre for Research in Network Economics and Communications at the University of Auckland, Monash University and at the Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l’Administration Economique in Paris. Henry is the inaugural Professor of Infrastructure Economics at SMART where his focus is on the economic, regulatory and public policy research program. He takes a special interest in the development and application of cost-benefit analysis and in the
POSITION Former Premier, New South
Wales TOPIC Infrastructure Risks and Funding
Panel BIO Nick Greiner was Premier and Treasurer
of New South Wales from 1988-1992. Since his retirement from politics he has been heavily involved in the corporate world. Nick was the inaugural Chairman of the SMART Advisory Council and is a current Advisory Council member Nick is currently Chairman of Bradken, The Nuance Group, QBE Australia, Accolade Wines and Playup as well as Deputy Chairman of CHAMP Private Equity. He is also Chairman of the Advisory Council for Degremont and Senior Advisor and Chairman, Council of Advisors, Rothschild Australia Limited. Nick is a Member of the Board of Governors, Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) and a member of the
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Corporate Council, The European Australian Business Council (EABC). He is also a Trustee of the Sydney Theatre Company Foundation. In the Queen’s Birthday Honours List of 1994 he was awarded a Companion of the Order of Australia for public sector reform and management and services to the community and in 2001 the Centenary Medal. Nick holds an Honours Degree in Economics from Sydney University and a Master of Business Administration with High Distinction from Harvard Business School. He is a Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Life Member of the South Sydney Rugby League Club.
Dr Ken Henry AC
POSITION Chairman, SMART Infrastructure
Facility Advisory Council TOPIC Asia and Australia in the 21st Cen-
tury: Can we rise to a new Infrastructure Challenge? BIO Dr Ken Henry is the Chair of the SMART
Infrastructure Facility Advisory Council. As Special Adviser to the Prime Minister in 2011 and 2012, Dr Henry was responsible for leading the development of the Australia in the Asian Century White Paper. Dr Henry is Chair of the Institute of Public Policy at the Australian National University, Chair of the Advisory Council of the SMART Infrastructure Facility at the University of Wollongong, Chair of the Board of the Sir Roland Wilson Foundation, a member of the Boards of National Australia Bank Limited and the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), and a member of the Board of Reconciliation Australia. He is also a Governor of CEDA and a Council member of Voiceless. Dr Henry was Secretary to the Treasury from 2001 to 2011. Dr Henry chaired the Review into Australia’s Future Tax System in 2009–10. Dr Henry holds a first class honours degree in economics from the University of NSW (1979) and a PhD in economics from the University of Canterbury, NZ (1982). Dr Henry was awarded a Companion of the Order of Australia General Division (AC) in the Australia Day Honours 2007. In May 2009, Dr Henry was awarded the degree of Doctor of Business honoris causa from the University of NSW. In November 2012, Dr Henry was made a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia.
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Mr Rod Hook
POSITION Chief Executive Officer,
SA Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure BIO Rod Hook is one of South Australia’s
most highly respected senior public servants with an unrivalled reputation for delivering major projects and programs that is recognised at the highest levels of both State and Federal Government. As the Chief Executive of the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure, Rod is responsible for South Australia’s transport system and services (including public transport), energy policy and regulation, building management, land services, Government ICT investment and services, and infrastructure planning. These responsibilities include the delivery of major infrastructure projects for the State, consistent with priorities set out in South Australia’s Strategic Plan including the unprecedented $2.6 billion investment to rebuild Adelaide’s public transport network and the $535 million upgrade of the iconic Adelaide Oval. He is also South Australia’s Commissioner of Highways the State’s Coordinator-General for the Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan. Rod is widely known for his role in delivering a range of major infrastructure projects that have changed the way people live, work and do business in Adelaide. These include the Port River Expressway, the Glenelg Tramline Extensions to Victoria Square and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre the Gallipoli Underpass and most recently South Australia’s FINA compliant State Aquatic Centre and GP Plus Health Care Centre. Rod graduated from the University of Adelaide with Honours in Civil Engineering.
Mr Martin Locke
in accordance with an integrated State and national plan and establish agencies, like Infrastructure Australia and Infrastructure NSW, to catalyse action. However, the call for more rigorous policy enforcement without political interference continues. And in a capital constrained environment, the onus on the State Governments is to look for better and more effective ways to partner with the Federal Government and the private sector. There is a real opportunity for the new Federal Government to drive momentum through: • Improved infrastructure planning and co-ordination which is collaborative, open, integrated and early; • More efficient delivery of complex economic infrastructure partnerships with Government combining clear policy goals with transparent regulation; • Optimisation of funding sources through universal adoption of user-pays; • Structuring of “hybrid” economic partnerships to keep projects “off balance sheet”; • Structuring commercial support for projects with strong economic justification even if initial financial viability is marginal; • Hypothecating the sales proceeds for existing brownfield infrastructure for investment in critical new infrastructure; • Removal of tax impediments to facilitate capital recycling and investment in new infrastructure. BIO Martin has over 30 years of experience
advising government and the private sector on the procurement and financing of large, complex infrastructure projects. He is one of Australia’s leading infrastructure finance specialists having worked on projects since 1990 and has closed high profile PPPs in the transport, health and education sectors. He joined PwC in 2001 after a 23 year successful career in investment banking with the Deutsche Morgan Grenfell group and is the partner leading PwC’s infrastructure advisory practice in Sydney. He has global experience having worked in London, Sydney, Singapore and Johannesburg. He has published papers exploring new and innovative hybrid funding models for financing economic infrastructure in the post GFC financing market including the use of Government SPVs and the concept of capital recycling.
Mr Gordon Noble
POSITION Director, Investments and
Economy, Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia TOPIC A Reform Agenda to Address Impediments to Superannuation Investment in Infrastructure: A Super Perspective ABSTRACT Australia’s superannuation industry has a proud record investing in infrastructure. It was Australian superannuation funds that first invested in privatized assets in Victoria contributing to the creation of the emergence of infrastructure as a global asset class. Despite superannuation funds continued appetite to invest in infrastructure a common question that is asked is ‘how can we get superannuation funds to invest more in infrastructure?’
For Australian superannuation funds to increase investment in Australian infrastructure assets it will be important to develop a shared understanding between Governments, stakeholders and investors about how superannuation actually works. One of the significant constraints that superannuation funds face investing in infrastructure is liquidity. Requiring superannuation funds to meet member requests for redemptions and investment choices has resulted in a system that is skewed towards liquid investments. As the superannuation system matures and super fund accounts move into drawdown phase the pressure to invest in liquid assets can only be expected to grow. There are a range of solutions that are being offered that would enable super funds to invest in illiquid assets whilst still maintaining ability to meet member redemption and investment choice requests. There are also mechanisms that can increase the liquidity of infrastructure including listing vehicles on capital markets. This presentation will consider the different options and the challenges that need to be addressed in order for superannuation funds to be able to increase exposure to infrastructure. BIO Gordon Noble is the Director of Invest-
POSITION Partner Infrastructure Advisory,
PWC TOPIC Unlocking the Infrastructure Funding
Impasse ABSTRACT Real progress has been made in addressing the infrastructure challenge. Federal and State Governments have embraced the need to prioritise infrastructure investment, adopt sound economic projects
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ments and Economy at the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia. Gordon is responsible for ASFA’s investment strategy and stakeholder relations including relationships with the Federal Government. A core part of ASFA’s work is around investments which are focused on issues including financial system stability, infrastructure, innovation, capital markets and fixed interest markets. Gordon was formerly Deputy CEO of the Committee of Melbourne, a city based think tank, and has worked in industrial
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relations, Federal politics, banking and superannuation.
Prior to ABN AMRO, Paul worked at KPMG in the Audit & Advisory division.
Gordon Noble has worked in a variety of roles in the finance sector over a 23 year career. He was involved in the early establishment of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment and the Principles for Social Investment Secretariat (an initiative of the United Nations Global Compact). Working with the Responsible Investment Association Australasia, Gordon founded the Responsible Investment Academy, an online training platform that educates investors on incorporating environmental, social and governance issues into investment processes and also established a methodology for benchmarking the sustainability reporting amongst ASX 200 companies for the Australian Council of Super Investors. During his career he has worked as a political adviser for the Australian Labor Party and with trade unions in Australia and the United Kingdom. Gordon commenced his career with National Australia Bank having completed a Bachelor of Economics at the Australian National University.
Paul is also a member of the Infrastructure Partnerships Australia Advisory Board.
Mr Paul Oppenheim
POSITION Managing Director,
The Plenary Group TOPIC A private sector perspective on PPP
(Public Private Partnerships) ABSTRACT
• The evolution of Public Private Partnerships • Government objectives and private sector motives • Consortium dynamics • The role of private capital • Australia in a global context BIO Paul is a graduate of the University
of Wollongong (Bachelor of Commerce – 1991) and is a member of the SMART Infrastructure Facility Advisory Council Paul has been the Managing Director of Plenary Group since its establishment in 2004. His career in public infrastructure includes more than a decade in the PPP market. He has been directly responsible for structuring, negotiating and executing a number of significant PPP transactions in Australia. He is responsible for the day to day running of Plenary Group’s Australian business, managing a team of 40 professional staff Paul worked at ABN AMRO (formerly BZW) for nine years in the Infrastructure Capital team. The final 9 months were spent as Head of the group.
Mr Rick Sawers
POSITION Group Executive,
Dr Ian Oppermann
Product & Markets, National Australia Bank TOPIC Combining the power of Government and Financial Services to fund our future ABSTRACT The purpose of Rick’s speech
POSITION Director, CSIRO Digital
Productivity and Services Flagship TOPIC Smart Planning for Smart
Infrastructure ABSTRACT Developments in information
and communications technologies have allowed more sophisticated understanding of infrastructure use, wear and aging. It has also allowed greater interconnectivity and communication between systems leading to smart tolling, smarter traffic flow, and more efficient interconnections. Planning for future smart infrastructure requires navigation of a field of technical, financial and societal factors. Here again, information and communications technologies can help. BIO Dr Ian Oppermann was appointed on 1 July 2012 to the role of Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, Director of the newest Flagship for Digital Productivity and Services. Prior to this appointment, Dr Oppermann was the Director of CSIRO’s ICT Centre.
CSIRO’s Digital Productivity and Services Flagship addresses major scientific challenges in Wireless Communications, Government and Commercial Services, Robotics, Information Theory, environmental sensing and Health Services. Flagships are CSIRO’s response to National Challenges and the focus of the new Flagship is focussed upon frontier service creation in the Digital Economy. Prior to CSIRO, Ian headed Sales Partnering for Nokia Siemens Networks’ software business, and was Director of Radio Access Performance Business at Nokia. Prior to joining Nokia, Ian was director of the Centre for Wireless Communications, a research centre in Finland. Ian has contributed to 6 books as editor or chapter author, authored or co-authored approximately 30 journal and 90 conference papers. Ian has a Doctor of Philosophy in electrical engineering from Sydney University and an MBA from the University of London. Ian is a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Australia, a Fellow of the IEEE and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
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is to join the dots in bringing together the combined power of Government and the banking, investment and superannuation industries as a powerful force that can put Australia in a more competitive, more productive space and in turn, carry out the effective provision of infrastructure to sustain the development of modern society. BIO In March 2013, Rick was appointed
Group Executive, Product & Markets (“P&M”). P&M is responsible for all banking and wealth products across NAB, including Financial Markets products and the structuring of complex products. Product & Markets designs, operates and manages the portfolio of products that NAB sells to its customers. Rick is also responsible for the NAB ADI Treasury activities (liquidity, short term funding and interest rate risk). Previously, Rick was Group Executive, Wholesale Banking which was responsible for Financial Markets Trading and Sales, Debt Capital Markets, Asset Servicing (Custody), Financial Institutions, Specialised Finance businesses and the NAB ADI Treasury. Prior to that, Rick was Deputy CEO of nabCapital and Group Treasurer for NAB Capital. Rick is a financial markets specialist, with deep experience in the areas of capital, funding, liquidity, money markets, foreign exchange and interest rate risk management. He has a strong track record in leading Operations, Compliance, Risk and Governance functions. He is a member of the NAB Group Executive Committee, Group Risk & Return Management Committee and a Director of Clydesdale Bank Plc, NAB’s retail banking subsidiary based in the United Kingdom. Rick completed executive education at the Harvard Business School, is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australia and Chairman of the Australian Financial Markets Association (“AFMA”). He has over 40 years’ experience in commercial, wholesale and international banking, including 28 years with the National Australia Bank Group and 10 years with the ANZ Banking Group. Rick’s career has included assignments in New York, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Los Angeles and Melbourne, where he now resides.
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Mr Rod Sims
POSITION Chairman, Australian Competition
and Consumer Commission TOPIC Future regulatory outlook for infra-
structure and what it means for investors and government alike ABSTRACT Infrastructure Australia in their annual report to the Council of Australian Governments in July this year noted that there is a ‘profound disconnect’ in infrastructure policy in Australia between our concerns for congestion and infrastructure shortages and our inability to turn these concerns into action. What does this call for action mean for the economic regulation and the pricing of infrastructure in Australia?
Congestion pricing is a challenge that policy makers and regulators have to confront. The advantages of paying different tariffs for electricity at different times should allow more efficient network and generation utilisation. Similarly in communication much more content is being delivered placing strains on some network capacity. Likewise with our road network. While the arguments for pricing reform are clear we also have some understanding of the barriers to this type of pricing. One barrier is consumer concern. For the ACCC and AER this is an aspect of a much larger issue about consumer involvement. Will the greater engagement of consumers in regulation processes give consumers the means of expressing their preferences? Is this a way of addressing our infrastructure capacity issues? BIO Rod Sims was appointed Chairman of the
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in August 2011 for a five year term.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Rod worked as the Deputy Secretary in the Commonwealth Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet responsible for economic, infrastructure and social policy and the Cabinet Office. He also worked as Deputy Secretary in the Department of Transport and Communications. Rod Sims holds a first class honours degree in Commerce from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Economics from the Australian National University.
Ms Jennifer Westacott
Wales and Victorian Governments. She was the Director of Housing and the Secretary of Education in Victoria, and most recently was the Director-General of the New South Wales Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources. At KPMG Jennifer provided advice and assistance to some of Australia’s major corporations on climate change and sustainability matters, and provided advice to governments around Australia on major reform priorities. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of New South Wales where she is an Adjunct Professor at the City Research Futures Centre. She was a Chevening Scholar at the London School of Economics. In October 2012 Jennifer was appointed as a National Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia.
POSITION Chief Executive, Business Council
of Australia TOPIC What business needs to deliver the
infrastructure Australia needs ABSTRACT Business regards the provision
of high quality infrastructure services as essential for lifting competitiveness and achieving sustainable long term growth. Increasingly governments are recognising that the private sector should own and deliver infrastructure services with the role of governments being redefined around planning, regulation, subsidisation and risk sharing. The BCA represents many of the major Australian companies involved in the ownership, planning, design and construction, financing and operation of Australia’s core economic infrastructure. Ms Westacott will discuss the changes to the policy environment needed to enable Australian businesses to provide the high quality infrastructure services demanded by a growing population and economy.
Rod has extensive business and public sector experience. Immediately prior to his appointment to the ACCC, he was the Chairman of the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of New South Wales, Commissioner on the National Competition Council, Chairman of InfraCo Asia, Director of Ingeus Limited, and member of the Research and Policy Council of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia. Rod was also a Director of Port Jackson’s Partners Limited where he advised the CEOs and Boards of some of Australia’s top 50 companies on commercial corporate strategy over many years. Rod relinquished all of these roles on becoming Chairman of the ACCC.
BIO The Business Council of Australia (BCA)
Rod is also a past Chairman of the NSW Rail Infrastructure Corporation and the State Rail Authority and has been a Director of a number of private sector companies.
Jennifer has extensive policy experience in both the public and private sectors.
is an association of the chief executive officers of 100 of Australia’s top companies. It was established in 1983 to provide a forum for Australia’s business leadership to contribute directly to public policy debates. The BCA’s vision is to advance and support policies that will help make Australia the best place in the world in which to live, learn, work and do business. Jennifer Westacott took up the role of Chief Executive at the BCA in April 2011. Previously, she was a Director and National Lead Partner at KPMG, heading up the firm’s Sustainability, Climate Change and Water practice and its NSW State Government practice.
For over 20 years Jennifer occupied critical leadership positions in the New South
Mr Les Wielinga
POSITION: Former Director General
of Transport for NSW Les Wielinga is the former Director General of Transport for NSW, the State’s integrated transport agency and a foundation member of the SMART Infrastructure Facility Advisory Council. He was previously Director General of the NSW Department of Transport, having served in that role since July 2009, and led the change process which established Transport for NSW He was Chief Executive of the Roads and Traffic Authority from 2006 to 2009. Les has more than 35 years experience in the management of transport issues, strategic planning, development and delivery of infrastructure, program and project management, as well as administration. He has substantial experience in leading large multidisciplinary teams including legal, financial, economic and engineering.
WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR ENDORSING PARTNERS
WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR ASSOCIATE PARTNERS Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, The University of Sydney Business School University of Southampton, UK University of South Australia Centre for Infrastructure Research, University of Auckland Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech
Universidad Francisco de Vitoria School of Architecture and Design, RMIT University Southwest Jiaotong University, China Energy Pipelines CRC Ltd United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney The Australian APEC Study Centre at RMIT University
Faculty of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Cat贸lica de Chile
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ABOUT SMART INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITY Australia, like many of its international peers is grappling with very difficult questions about the future provision of infrastructure. The way we have settled our communities and developed industries in the past 100 years with an abundance of land, low population densities, scant attention to the environment and very modest community involvement all belongs to the past. The SMART Infrastructure Facility is one of the largest research institutions in the world, funded by the Federal Government of Australia, NSW Government and University of Wollongong. It is dedicated to mapping out new data, concepts and frameworks to help governments, business and the community be more front-footed in the planning, funding and management infrastructure networks for our cities and regions. Our goal is to ensure infrastructure can be designed, procured, funded and managed for the betterment of our nation by enhancing Australia’s future global competitiveness, well-being of its citizens and resilience of its systems to natural and man-made events. It is
these matters that are the subject of an intensive global collaboration where SMART works alongside government, industry and academic institutions to help ensure better long term performance of brownfield and new infrastructure assets and systems With its world-class laboratories, SMART can generate powerful and scalable models of national, regional and citywide infrastructure networks, such as road, rail, water, energy and communication. This enables scenario planning of population changes on infrastructure networks and impact on performance over time. SMART can deploy small and largescale research teams and can access the expertise of University of Wollongong high degree students and academics. SMART is set up to champion high quality and purposeful collaborations with industry and government in Australia and around the world to address key infrastructure challenges and assist with problem solving using evidence based computational tools.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT Garry Bowditch Chief Executive Officer garry_bowditch@uow.edu.au smart.uow.edu.au Tania Brown Chief Operating Officer +61 4298 1431 tania_brown@uow.edu.au Rafael Vazquez Romero Business Development Manager +61 42 39 2331 rvr@uow.edu.au Victoria Black Strategic Marketing Manager +61 4221 3433 vblack@uow.edu.au
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