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Prof John L Wilson EA Infrastructure Spokesman Swinburne University of Technology. 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
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Prof John L Wilson EA Infrastructure Spokesman Swinburne University of Technology
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
RATINGS SUMMARY * Fitness for purpose is evaluated in terms of the needs of the community, economy and environment using criteria of sustainability, effectiveness, efficiency and equity.
Infrastructure Planning and Performance • Future planning • Future population estimates • Future land use plans ******* • Long lead times • Funding $$$ • Growing population • Victorian population increasing 2%pa • Melbourne population 3.9M in 2009, 5M in 2025? • 60% of new residents greater than 20km from CBD • Existing infrastructure • Ageing ranges from 1-100+ years • Service level • Meets society’s expectations • Demand < capacity • Enjoy the benefits or suffer the consequences
Transport - Roads • 200,000 km of roads • Report Card Rating 2010 • National Roads (C+) • State Roads (C+) • Local Roads (C-) • Sustainability Issues • Congestion: cars and freight • Possible Solutions • Integration of transport modes • Park and ride • Congestion tax and user pays • Intelligent transport systems
Transport – Local Roads • Report Card Rating 2010 • Local Roads (C-) • 130,000 km of local roads • Sustainability Issues • Maintaining road quality • increasing freight and traffic volumes • Unsealed roads and maintenance • Acceptable access, but limiting traffic volume and speed • Congestion, increasing demand greater than supply • Maintaining bridges, particularly old timber bridges • Eg. Gippsland 600 local bridges, 75% timber deck
Transport - Rail • Report Card Rating 2010 • Rail Overall (D) • Rail Freight (D) • Sustainability Issues • Fragile and tired system • Rail track, rail network, rolling stock, signalling • Congestion with only 10% patronage • Service and maintenance • New lines for new outer suburbs • Rail gauge and connectivity • Poor freight movement
Transport – Rail Rail Solutions – System Modernisation • Less spin and significantly more funding $$$ • 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
Transport - Ports • Report Card Rating C+ • Sustainability Issues • Capacity restraints • Lack of inter-modal integration • Possible Solutions • Intermodal facility • Channel deepening • Rail connectivity
Water Network • Water supply • 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)
Metro Water • Report Card Ratings • Wastewater (B-) • Potable water (C) • Sustainability Issues • Water availability • Growing population • Possible Solutions • Demand management • Drinking treated wastewater *** • EDUCATION!!! • Desalination ???
Metro Stormwater • Report Card Ratings • 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 5000+ litres • New Suburbs • WSUD • Better land use and design
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 $$$$
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
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
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