Report on performance

3. Outcome 1 - Infrastructure

Output 1.1.2 - Infrastructure investment coordination

Overview

Output 1.1.2. is delivered through the work undertaken by the Office of the Infrastructure Coordinator in support of Infrastructure Australia and the Nation Building Infrastructure Investment division.

Infrastructure Australia was established as a statutory advisory council. It advises governments, investors and infrastructure owners on a wide range of issues, including: Australia's current and future infrastructure needs; mechanisms for financing infrastructure investments; policy, pricing and regulatory issues that may affect the use of infrastructure; and impediments to the efficient use of national infrastructure networks. A complete report on the performance of Infrastructure Australia appears in Chapter 6.

The output had no administered programs.

The Major Cities Unit

The Major Cities Unit was established to provide coordinated action across all spheres of government, the private sector and the community to improve the prosperity, liveability and sustainability of our cities, and to assist in securing the nation's economic, social and environmental wellbeing.

The Major Cities Unit participates in planning bodies such as the Local Government and Planning Joint Committee and the associated Planning Officials Group, which supports the Local Government and Planning Ministers Council. The unit contributed to a submission to the April 2009 COAG meeting on micro-economic reforms to planning systems.

In 2008-09, the Major Cities Unit began preparing a 'national urban policy' to advance integrated governance structures and best practice planning, to provide clear direction for the development of Australia's cities and to set a geographic context for policy, planning and investment decisions. The policy, which will be completed in 2009-10, will articulate the responsibilities, expectations, strategies and actions required of governments, the private sector and the community.

Initial public input was sought through a series of focus group sessions conducted across the major cities of Australia. A Research Roundtable was held in June 2009, seeking input from prominent academics and research institutes. The Unit also worked in partnership with the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors to support the development of the May 2009 'State of the Cities: Unlocking the Data' conference. This conference provided input into the development of a regular reporting framework and research agenda, which will be incorporated into the national urban policy.

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