Under prevailing economic circumstances, our political leaders are in great need of accomplished and resolute infrastructure reform advice – especially in transport, which dominates spending. The new Federal Treasury Secretary’s advice to the Senate this week was refreshing. It argued that further big infrastructure project spending was not the economic magic bullet so many think […]
The Grattan Institute has just published a report on road congestion charging. It argues that congestion charging is a better way to manage busy urban roads. It is right but Ministers rejected the idea immediately. We waste far more money on pointless roads than we do on welfare. But the dollars we waste on roads
Australia’s current approach to road spending will soon generate up to $20 billion every year in new public sector debt – making it impossible for any new Commonwealth government to benefit from much-needed tax reform and revenue increases. This also cooks the goose of the road freight sector which Australia’s economy relies upon, while
LUKE FRASER. The roads that ate the Australian economy Part 2 of 2 Read More »
Botched State road projects, toll road fee hikes and congestion grab big headlines and make good sport for critics of State governments. Canberra escapes criticism by arguing it allocates funds to States, who execute poorly. Yet Canberra deserves particular opprobrium in all things roads. It is crying out for reform. Most of all it needs
LUKE FRASER. Canberra has abandoned roads to inflationary spending and policy chaos Read More »
As our mining boom has receded, Australia has seen unprecedented sums flow to transport infrastructure projects -mostly in our two biggest cities. But we have a real mess on our hands. While we might acknowledge the economic principles in play, … Continue reading →
JOHN MENADUE. Infrastructure, rent-seekers and lobbyists. Read More »
On 2 June, the NSW Branch of the Labor Party hosted a dinner for Graham Freudenberg, former speechwriter for federal and state Labor leaders, including Arthur Calwell, Gough Whitlam, Bob Hawke, Neville Wran, Barrie Unsworth, Bob Carr and Simon Crean. … Continue reading →
For octogenarians like me, the most astonishing development since the collapse of the Soviet Union is that so much of the West’s hopes for international sanity, civility and peace should now rest with, of all countries, Germany. As an … Continue reading →
GRAHAM FREUDENBERG. Revising history – A REPOST from June 16 2017 Read More »
This is the second of three articles considering transport infrastructure spending levels, shortcomings in transport governance and strategy and the potential for doing better. The previous article argued that Sydney deserves special attention for its headlong rush to deliver major … Continue reading →
LUKE FRASER. Is Sydney in thrall to an infrastructure cargo cult? Part 2 of 3 Read More »
Sydney readers are being subjected to an onslaught of infrastructure puff pieces featuring former Transport Minister now Premier the Hon. Gladys Berejiklian MP. It coincides with a desire to ‘showcase the Government’s infrastructure credentials’ and raise the Premier’s profile. It also … Continue reading →
JOHN AUSTEN. Trouble in infrastructure paradise, NSW Part 1 of 2 Read More »
As news broke recently that the Sydney Metro project would necessitate the closure of Sydney’s Bankstown rail line for a few months each year until well into next decade, the latest State Transport minister urged everyone to ‘look at the bigger picture’. But as Infrastructure Australia’s retired head of economic policy posted here last week[i],