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Articles on infrastructure development

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Artist’s impression of the new city. NSW Government/AAP

Bold and innovative planning is delivering Australia’s newest city. But it will be hot – and can we ditch the colonial name?

The new city bears a colonial name and there are questions about locating it in the hottest part of Sydney, but we are also seeing all 3 tiers of government work together in an innovative way.
Camera trap image of adult female chimpanzee with her offspring in fallow area in Moyamba district of Sierra Leone foraging on oranges. Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary

Action is needed to save West Africa’s critically endangered chimpanzees

Studies show that West Africa’s critically endangered chimpanzees are finding ways of adapting to their rapidly changing habitat, but they still remain highly at risk.
Human activity threatens many species across Africa’s savannahs. Paul Mulondo/WCS

Guns, snares and bulldozers: new map reveals hotspots for harm to wildlife

New research looked at human impacts on more than 5,000 threatened species and found that a quarter of them have almost nowhere left to go to escape from the threats posed by human development.
After 48 hours of frantic effort, Brazilian rescue workers have called off their search for survivors at a collapsed dam in Minas Gerais state. AP Photo/Leo Correa

Dam collapse at Brazilian mine exposes grave safety problems

Nearly 1,800 Brazilian dams are at risk of failure, according to the government. Fixing them is expensive – but ignoring aging dams can have considerable social, economic and environmental costs.
Flooding from Hurricane Harvey. Can the region rebuild infrastructure so that it can better withstand extreme weather events? AP Photo/David J. Phillip

6 rules for rebuilding infrastructure in an era of ‘unprecedented’ weather events

After extreme weather events like Hurricane Harvey, city planners need to think about the smartest way to rebuild. Here are some no-regrets infrastructure investment ideas.
Both Donald Trump and his political opponents are on board the global infrastructure bandwagon. Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA

Making sense of the global infrastructure turn

The trillions of dollars spent on infrastructure demands democratic transparency and accountability. This applies to both the investment and to the effects on cities, societies and the environment.
The uncertainties about the new Badgerys Creek airport in Western Sydney are raising many questions that only good governance can resolve. from www.shutterstock.com

Flying into uncertainty: Western Sydney’s ‘aerotropolis’ poses more questions than answers

Building a second Sydney airport will be a demanding engineering project. But the real challenge will be one of governance needed to choreograph the mix of old and new city that will surround it.
Political calculations drove the Abbott and Baird governments’ decisions on investing taxpayers’ money in the WestConnex project. Nikki Short/AAP

WestConnex audit offers another $17b lesson in how not to fund infrastructure

Reckless government investment decisions are sadly the norm when it comes to transport infrastructure. Three key checks on the decision-making process can help ensure taxpayers get value for money.

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