The federal government keeps coming up with new ways to finance infrastructure, but it isn’t clear they will shift the cost or risk away from government.
Southport station, Nerang Street, soon after the light rail began running in 2014.
Matthew Burke
The light rail project pushed up property values within 800 metres of the stations by over 30% from 1996 to 2016. Gains on this scale offer a potential source of finance for public transport.
What could be better?
Uladzik Kryhin via Shutterstock.com.
It’s been 80 years since this beloved landmark opened to San Francisco traffic. In the interim, technology has advanced – is there a better way to span this strait?
World leaders, led by Chinese President Xi Jinping, meet for the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing.
Reuters
The Chinese government has now clearly signalled its intention to assume a more prominent global leadership role through the Belt and Road Initiative.
The public and finance sectors – but not the government, it seems – are questioning the wisdom of investing in infrastructure for projects like the Adani coal mine.
Lukas Coch/AAP
If infrastructure is to meet the needs and challenges of an uncertain future, we need to move beyond the AAA ratings mindset and aim for net-positive social and ecological outcomes as well.
Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas announced a raft of spend measures in the latest budget.
Julian Smith/AAP
The Victorian budget brought with it an increase in privatisation, which follows on from other state budgets, but the evidence for efficiency in this type of system isn’t there.
With high capital costs linked to petroleum and gas infrastructure, collection of PRRT funds for regional development may be delayed for several years.
Phil Noble/Reuters
Local communities are likely to be dissatisfied with the report from the PRRT review because its recommendations only apply to future projects and won’t herald any changes in the budget.
Which links are most important in road and information networks?
Sahacha Nilkumhang/Shutterstock.com
When planning major infrastructure investments, it’s important to know which road, freight and information networks are most important – and which proposals might make things worse, not better.
Public goods come in many forms, from highways to magnificent mountains.
Road sign via www.shutterstock.com
The U.S. owes much of its prosperity to investment in public goods like highways, parks and schools. Trump’s budget poses a threat to these goods, which have already been on the decline.
There’s still a lot of the U.S. waiting to be wired up.
asharkyu/Shutterstock.com
President Trump has touted infrastructure investment as a way to boost the U.S. economy. At the moment, he’s missing a key opportunity – expanding broadband internet service.
Both Donald Trump and his political opponents are on board the global infrastructure bandwagon.
Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA
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.
What new and innovative infrastructure is likely to emerge from the suburbs?
Roger Keil
Suburban areas feel infrastructure stress most acutely. Having to deal with severe inadequacies, suburbs offer fertile ground for infrastructure experimentation and innovation.
Aspiring ‘smart cities’ like Barcelona have worked to build their profile – it recently hosted the Smart City Expo World Congress – but Australia may benefit from not having rushed in.
Ramon Costa/AAP
Trump has pledged to invest big in infrastructure. An analysis shows the electric grid will need hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade just to keep things as they are.
Maintenance work on Lock and Dam 8 on the Mississippi River near Genoa, Wisconsin.
Patrick Moes, USACE/Flickr
Old and degraded infrastructure costs the United States money and puts lives at risk. A civil engineer describes some innovative ways to measure risks and prioritize repairs.
Some Olympic venues have become withered husks – but it’s not all bad news.
Workers at Medupi coal-fired power station during its construction, one of South Africa’s most costly and environmentally unfriendly projects.
Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko
In preparing the 2017 national budget South Africa needs to take heed of warnings that its historical austerity measures are hurting the poor and even costing lives.
Political calculations drove the Abbott and Baird governments’ decisions on investing taxpayers’ money in the WestConnex project.
Nikki Short/AAP
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.