Ingredients for infrastructure highlighted in IWA submission
Property Council WA has outlined the infrastructure challenges and opportunities facing industry in its Ingredients for infrastructure submission to Infrastructure WA to guide the development of WA’s first State Infrastructure Strategy.
Ingredients for Infrastructure: the missing links in WA’s industrial future considers a range of factors that when combined, will provide a stronger foundation for infrastructure planning and delivery in WA. The submission, made in response to Infrastructure WA’s A Stronger Together discussion paper, focused on the types of infrastructure involved in property and the role industry plays to provide that infrastructure.
The submission outlines the challenges and opportunities for property through:
- Guidance and governance
- Finding funding
- Resetting regulations
- Planning for prosperity
- Industrial development and logistics
- Precincts and sustainability
- Getting our house in order
Among the key discussion points was the need for a more coordinated approach to infrastructure planning and delivery, including improved funding of infrastructure through consistent standards across Development Contribution Plans and other forms of infrastructure levies. Long-standing advocacy efforts for improved government agreements, such as a more expansive Perth City Deal, also featured, while encouragement of more Public Private Partnerships to assist in filling funding gaps within state coffers was also proposed.
Although the submission said it was too early to know how COVID-19 had impacted the economy and shouldn’t provoke a knee-jerk reaction in decision making, the pandemic could be used as the catalyst to diversify WA’s economy properly. The importance of industrial lands, associated logistics and supporting services to consolidate WA’s existing economic strengths, as well as unleashing investment in emerging industries, was highlighted as a key opportunity not to be wasted. This was said to be important in adapting to changing markets and addressing supply chain issues exposed by the pandemic.
A more certain and powerful approach to identifying, planning and managing important employment and residential precincts was also raised as a key consideration Infrastructure WA should make, acknowledging the role of precincts in modern planning practices. The importance of precincts in achieving good environmental and sustainability outcomes was also emphasised.
The submission also argued that private housing was also a key piece of the infrastructure puzzle and allowing for emerging, innovative forms of housing such as Build-to-Rent and increased demand for Retirement Villages needed to be catered for in government decisions.
Infrastructure WA expects to consider submissions made by business and the community prior to the release of the first State Infrastructure Strategy in mid-2021.
You can download Property Council WA’s submission at the link below.