Infrastructure Partnerships Australia

PIPELINE REPORT 📊 | Last month's Pipeline Report explored the changing composition of the national infrastructure pipeline in recent years, shifting from transport to energy. Figure 1 demonstrates this shift, with road and rail projects as a share of the national infrastructure pipeline declining, overtaken by energy. Energy projects now account for almost half of the total pipeline by value. As a consequence of this shift, the pipeline has acquired a distinct U-curve shape shown in Figure 2, defined by mega-transport projects well into delivery, and a surging wave of energy projects waiting to break ground. One of the biggest challenges confronting the sector is moving these early-stage energy projects from concept to construction. Currently, over 70 per cent of the energy pipeline is yet to progress to main works procurement. Access the full analysis here: https://lnkd.in/gNwQEKgp

In the latest episode of Inside Infrastructure, Adrian Dwyer and Janice Lee are joined by Erin Coldham from Southerly Ten to explore the “choose your poison” dilemma facing the offshore wind industry. Erin discusses the trade-offs many developers face – between the urgency to transition to more renewable forms of energy and the need to mitigate associated negative environmental consequences. She warns that the cost of getting bogged down in inaction will have the highest price.  Listen here: 🎧Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/g6sBZGhv 🎧Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gCwZi_23 🎧Amazon: https://lnkd.in/g5z88jPC 🎧Soundcloud: https://lnkd.in/gVTTg2qD

Yesterday, Infrastructure Partnerships Australia hosted the Queensland chapter of the Transport Breakfast Series with a keynote address from Sally Stannard, Director-General, Department of Transport and Main Roads. The Director-General provided a timely overview of the Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program (QTRIP) following the Crisafulli Government’s first Budget handed down last month – highlighting the allocation of investment towards three key objectives: ✅ Capacity – to support rapid population growth in South East Queenland, as well as the forecasted volume of spectator travel for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games ✅ Resilience of the network – emphasising the high impact of lower-cost investment in resilient infrastructure ✅ Road safety – ensuring engagement across several different levers including design and engineering, social, and regulation The Director-General informed the sector of the measures being undertaken by the Department to ensure a greater return on investment including streamlining procurement and design processes, and tighter control of contract administration. Thank you to the Director-General for this morning’s update, and to our event series host EY-Parthenon, represented by Partner, Isaac Bromley, and event series sponsor Clayton Utz, represented by Partner, Gareth Oxley. Members can view the recording here: https://lnkd.in/ghTFPz2n

Last month, Infrastructure Partnerships Australia lodged a submission to the NSW IPART - Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal on its draft determination on Sydney Water’s 2025-2030 price proposal. Infrastructure Partnerships Australia recognises the importance of managing bills in today’s economic climate but urged this must be carefully balanced with the need to maintain service standards and support long-term infrastructure delivery. Our submission outlined that the current determination risks exposing consumers to increased likelihood of asset failure, reduced service reliability and delays in connecting new housing developments to essential water infrastructure – as well as ultimately shifting the burden of essential infrastructure upgrades to future generations. We continue to support a price determination process that enables an efficient and prudent approach to capital investment, allowing for timely asset renewals while accommodating for long-term growth. Read the full submission here: https://lnkd.in/eKbKjRpF

PIPELINE REPORT 📊 | A major milestone was recently achieved – the Australian and New Zealand Infrastructure Pipeline (ANZIP) has ticked over the one-trillion-dollar mark. The latest edition of the Pipeline Report took a deep dive into this 13-figure pipeline to see how it has changed over the years, and where it might be headed next. Over the last few years, we’ve witnessed a reconfiguration of our national infrastructure pipeline – shifting from a focus on major metropolitan transport projects toward renewable energy projects in regional and remote Australia. While every sector has seen growth, none have matched the surge in energy. Once the third largest piece of the pipeline, behind road and rail, energy is now far and away the largest. Yet this transformation is not without its challenges. Delivering this enormous energy pipeline requires navigating uncharted geographic, economic and social challenges. Access the full analysis here: https://lnkd.in/gHyFy7QG

In our latest episode of Inside Infrastructure, Southerly Ten's Chief Development Officer Erin Coldham unpacks what she sees as the limitations of the term social licence in her current work and shares her personal mission to rebrand how the sector approaches community engagement.   Joining Adrian Dwyer and Janice Lee, Erin reflects on her experiences working with rural and regional communities around Gippsland, sharing personal stories from on the ground, and the opportunity presented by offshore wind for these communities.  Listen here: 🎧Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/g6sBZGhv 🎧Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gCwZi_23 🎧Amazon: https://lnkd.in/g5z88jPC 🎧Soundcloud: https://lnkd.in/gVTTg2qD

Our first Transport Breakfast Series for the year kicked off in NSW with a keynote address from Josh Murray, Secretary, Transport for NSW. In his address, Secretary Murray traced out the key transport commitments in the 2025-26 NSW Budget, highlighting the Department’s role as an enabler and connector of government services. Having overseen three Budgets since joining the Department, the Secretary stated that beyond the individual line items, this year's transport allocations prioritise long-term plans around four key deliverables: ✈️ Planning around the Western Sydney Aerotropolis 🏘️ Housing supply and enabling access to housing ⚡ Driving the transition to renewable energy 🌧️ Building a resilient network against natural disaster events With $14.4 billion of capital to be deployed, the Secretary called to the sector for additional innovation in areas including road safety, the future fleet program, and maintenance and resilience. Thank you, Secretary, for this morning’s update, and to our event series host EY-Parthenon, represented by Partner, Oceania Transport Leader Neal Johnston, and event series sponsor Clayton Utz, represented by Partner Cynthia Elachi. Members can view the recording here: https://lnkd.in/guN4xNsm

NEW PODCAST ALERT A new episode of Inside Infrastructure has dropped. In this latest episode, Adrian Dwyer and Janice Lee sit down with Erin Coldham, Chief Development Officer, Southerly Ten to discuss her journey from a successful career in transport infrastructure to becoming Australia’s ‘First Lady of Wind’, the surprising parallels between offshore wind development and the Taylor Swift Eras Tour, and why social licence in energy needs a rebrand. Listen here: 🎧Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/g6sBZGhv 🎧Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gCwZi_23 🎧Amazon: https://lnkd.in/g5z88jPC 🎧Soundcloud: https://lnkd.in/gVTTg2qD

Hot on the heels of last week’s NSW Budget, we were delighted to launch our first Energy Breakfast Series of the year with a keynote address from Anthony Lean, Secretary of the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. The Secretary delivered a candid and comprehensive update on NSW’s progress towards net zero, citing significant momentum over the last six months, including the finalisation of the ACEREZ consortium to deliver the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ). Secretary Lean cited the new planning framework adopted by the Government attempts to improve the number of projects moving through the pipeline – with five gigawatts (GW) of wind capacity and two GW of solar approved in 2024 alone. In his address, the Secretary reflected on the challenge of ensuring reliability and maintaining system strength as more coal-fired power stations come offline, with reliability shortfalls forecasted over the next decade. Thank you, Secretary, for this morning’s update, and to our event series host DLA Piper, represented by Partner and Australian Head of Renewables Chris Mitchell.

Queensland Treasurer David Jantezki has handed down the 2025-26 Queensland Budget. Here are the key takeaways from Infrastructure Partnerships Australia’s analysis.  Members will receive the full Budget analysis in their inbox.