The new Australian Infrastructure Audit 2019 is calling for more targeted investment in freight infrastructure to ensure the nation maintains its economic position in the world.

The group is commenting on the 2019 Australian Infrastructure Audit published by Infrastructure Australia, the nation’s independent infrastructure advisor.  The Audit sees the need for a new wave of investment and reform to ensure Australia's infrastructure continues to support our quality of life and economic productivity over the next 15 years.

"The 2019 Audit finds that infrastructure in our four largest cities - Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth - is failing to keep pace with rapid population growth, particularly on the urban fringe.  With our population projected to grow by 24% to reach 31.4 million by 2034, our largest cities are expected to see pressure on access to infrastructure," said Infrastructure Australia Chair Julieanne Alroe.  "The dominance of infill development in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane will require investment in high capacity public transport, enhancements to existing energy and water infrastructure, improved shared spaces and a renewal of inner city health and education services."

Separately, the Australian Logistics Council (ALC) also recommends regulatory reforms to alleviate bottlenecks, particularly in non-bulk, agricultural, and urban freight supply chains.

"Australia’s freight task is growing more rapidly than our population, increasing by 50 per cent in the decade to 2016, compared with population growth of 18 per cent over the same period,” said ALC CEO Kirk Coningham, to Logistics and Materials Handling magazine.  "The National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy released less than a fortnight ago projects freight volumes will increase by more than 35 per cent between now and 2040.

"Such rapid growth will place enormous pressures on our freight network," Coningham added.  "Unless we take concrete action to deal with challenges such as urban congestion, bottlenecks in regional supply chains and reform inconsistent and outdated regulatory regimes, the performance of our freight networks will suffer and Australian consumers will pay the price."