1. Prof John L Wilson
EA Infrastructure Spokesman
Swinburne University of Technology

2. EA Report Card Objectives
Raise the community’s awareness of the importance of infrastructure
Generate debate on the quality and level required to meet society’s needs
Identify the state of infrastructure and the future challenges
Encourage the implementation of best practice

3. RATINGS SUMMARY Letter grade Designation Definition* A Very good B
Infrastructure is fit for its current and anticipated future purposes B
Good
Minor changes required to enable infrastructure to be fit for its current and anticipated future purposes C
Adequate
Major changes required to enable infrastructure to be fit for its current and anticipated future purposes D
Poor
Critical changes required to enable infrastructure to be fit for its current and anticipated future purposes F
Inadequate
Inadequate for current and anticipated future purposes
* Fitness for purpose is evaluated in terms of the needs of the community, economy and environment using criteria of sustainability, effectiveness, efficiency and equity.

4. INFRASTRUCTURE RATINGS
Infrastructure Type
Rating
Airports B
Wastewater B-
National Roads C+
State Roads
Roads Overall
Ports
Gas C
Telecommunications
Potable Water
Irrigation C-
Stormwater
Electricity
Local Roads
Rail D

5. Infrastructure Planning and Performance
Future planning
Future population estimates
Future land use plans *******
Long lead times
Funding $$$
Growing population
Victorian population increasing 2%pa
Melbourne population 3.9M in 2009, 5M in 2025?
60% of new residents greater than 20km from CBD
Existing infrastructure
Ageing ranges from years
Service level
Meets society’s expectations
Demand < capacity
Enjoy the benefits or suffer the consequences

6. Transport - Roads 200,000 km of roads Report Card Rating 2010
National Roads (C+)
State Roads (C+)
Local Roads (C-)
Sustainability Issues
Congestion: cars and freight
Possible Solutions
Integration of transport modes
Park and ride
Congestion tax and user pays
Intelligent transport systems

7. Transport – Local Roads
Report Card Rating 2010
Local Roads (C-)
130,000 km of local roads
Sustainability Issues
Maintaining road quality
increasing freight and traffic volumes
Unsealed roads and maintenance
Acceptable access, but limiting traffic volume and speed
Congestion, increasing demand greater than supply
Maintaining bridges, particularly old timber bridges
Eg. Gippsland 600 local bridges, 75% timber deck

8. Transport - Rail Report Card Rating 2010 Sustainability Issues
Rail Overall (D)
Rail Freight (D)
Sustainability Issues
Fragile and tired system
Rail track, rail network, rolling stock, signalling
Congestion with only 10% patronage
Service and maintenance
New lines for new outer suburbs
Rail gauge and connectivity
Poor freight movement

9. Transport – Rail Rail Solutions – System Modernisation
Less spin and significantly more funding $$$
Vic Government has reacted slowly
Rail network improvements and expansion
Expand the rolling stock and staff
Modernise the signalling and control systems
Increase the frequency and level of service
Effective integration of public transport modes
Metro vision
Passengers will not need a timetable
Turn up and in ‘x’ minutes a train will arrive
Trains run reliably, high frequency and high capacity

10. Transport - Ports Report Card Rating C+ Sustainability Issues
Capacity restraints
Lack of inter-modal integration
Possible Solutions
Intermodal facility
Channel deepening
Rail connectivity

11. Water Network Water supply Waste Water Stormwater
60,000km (22,000km urban and 38,000km regional)
200 Dams (16 for Melbourne metropolitan)
Waste Water
32,000km sewers (Melb 20,000km, Regional 12,000km)
Stormwater
36,000km
(MW 1100km, Metro Councils 25,000km,
Regional Councils 11,000km)

12. Metro Water Report Card Ratings Sustainability Issues
Wastewater (B-)
Potable water (C)
Sustainability Issues
Water availability
Growing population
Possible Solutions
Demand management
Drinking treated wastewater ***
EDUCATION!!!
Desalination ???

13. Metro Stormwater Report Card Ratings Old suburbs New Suburbs
Stormwater (C-)
Old suburbs
5 year storm design prior to 1970s
Densification of suburbs
Difficult to retrofit and upgrade
WSUD
Flood risks
Stormwater harvesting
Large tanks litres
New Suburbs
Better land use and design

14. Energy - Electricity Report Card Rating C- Sustainability Issues
Lack of reserve capacity
Growing population
Ageing power stations
Greenhouse emissions
80% brown coal generation
Possible Solutions
Demand management
New generating plant
Renewables ?
Carbon capture?
Distributed systems?
Nuclear?
Urgent investment $$$$

15. Funding Issues
Only short-term budgetary commitments to critical infrastructure elements
Reluctance to utilise public debt funding
Opportunities for increased private sector funding
Provision of grants for capital works only, with no allowance for ongoing maintenance
Immediate need for increased funding for maintenance and renewals

16. Skills Shortage Current skills shortage in engineering
Significant retirements over the next decade could result in knowledge gap and widen the skills shortage
Secondary education in the enabling subjects of Maths and Science essential – current shortage of teachers in these fields
Great opportunities for graduate and migrant engineers

17. Recommendations Increase quantum of funding
Long term infrastructure planning
Invest in project planning and consultation
Address population growth and climate change
Establish a new strategic advisory body
Partner with the private sector
Delivery models must allocate risk appropriately

18. INFRASTRUCTURE RATINGS
Infrastructure Type
Rating
Airports B
Wastewater B-
National Roads C+
State Roads
Roads Overall
Ports
Gas C
Telecommunications
Potable Water
Irrigation C-
Stormwater
Electricity
Local Roads
Rail D