Statement from Engineers Australia on the 2021 Australian Infrastructure Plan
"Engineers Australia commends Infrastructure Australia on its community-centered reform agenda and broadly supports the recommendations provided in the 2021 Australian Infrastructure Plan.
"As Australia reflects on the lessons learned from our response to recent bushfires, flooding, cyber-attacks, and the impacts of the global pandemic, delivering infrastructure that is safe, sustainable, resilient, and efficient will be essential to our recovery and future prosperity.
"Engineers Australia endorses the aims of the plan to provide a nationally consistent and systemic approach to maintaining, upgrading, and building infrastructure that has been well planned. Using collaborative and technologically advanced capability and expert advice to assess risks will ensure greater resilience and efficiency across all infrastructure sectors and assets.
"The plan presents a comprehensive roadmap for improving project governance, procurement, technology, and data driven decision-making and design, to connect our cities, regions and remote communities.
"With record infrastructure investment pipelines, it is critical that infrastructure projects are planned, designed, and delivered for maximum benefit and minimum risk to support Australia towards economic recovery and prosperity.
"Infrastructure industries are heavily reliant on competent and innovative engineering, and it is essential that engineers are engaged at all stages of project planning, design, delivery, and operation.
"The technical expertise provided by engineers is essential, not only in specific projects, but in the conversations influencing the policies that provide the operating framework for sound infrastructure planning and delivery.
"Our contributions have been enhanced by the diverse multidisciplinary expertise of more than 120 Engineers Australia members who contributed across 27 Infrastructure Australia sector specific workshops to support the development of the 2021 plan; volunteering their time and valuable insights in support of this important work."
- Engineers Australia CEO Dr Bronwyn Evans AM
