On your marks: the $50b infrastructure blueprint that will carry us to the Olympics
The Palaszczuk Government’s will today unveil a $52 billion blueprint for providing the transport, energy and other infrastructure to help set south-east Queensland on the road to the 2032 Olympics.
(Image: Supplied)
Deputy Premier and Infrastructure Minister Steven Miles will outline the state’s infrastructure pipeline for the next four years.
He will also release an updated 20-year infrastructure vision to drive preparations for the 2032 Olympics, Queensland’s need to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the state’s response to climate change.
The draft strategy will take into account Queensland’s population growth and changing demographics since the last infrastructure strategy was finalised in 2016.
The strategy includes ambitious plans for action in five areas – renewable energy, connecting the regions, creating liveable communities, building a 2032 Games legacy and driving infrastructure performance.
The highly anticipated new strategy, supported by seven separate regional infrastructure plans, is likely to influence major long term development decisions by the state’s building and investment community.
It identifies the state’s infrastructure challenges and objectives, and presents a clear set of directions to address them.
“Infrastructure is the backbone of Queensland’s prosperous communities. Building the right infrastructure today means a competitive and resilient Queensland for tomorrow,” it says.
It says trends the new strategy needs to take into account include population growth being the fastest of all the states and territories but suffering disruption due to COVID-19, the “work from anywhere” phenomenon driving regional growth and eh propensity for climate change to produce more frequent and more intense natural disasters.
Miles will release both the draft strategy and the more detailed infrastructure pipeline at the Infrastructure Association of Queensland’s annual assembly in Brisbane.
The pipeline includes a four-year $52.2 billion capital program and potential future proposals currently under development by the Queensland Government.
Miles said it would include more than 1000 projects either in delivery or at the planning stage.
“Our investment will support economic growth, create jobs, ensure the provision of high-quality services, and build resilient, connected, liveable communities,” he said.
The draft strategy will be open for consultation until October 7.
