New 20-year Infrastructure Strategy to support growing state

The Malinauskas Labor Government has adopted Infrastructure SA’s new 20-year State Infrastructure Strategy, setting the long-term vision for infrastructure investment to support economic growth, liveability, and sustainability across the state.

South Australia is growing steadily, with the population expected to reach 2 million by 2031.

According to Infrastructure SA, the State Government’s ambitious infrastructure program is delivering record levels of investment with more than $25.6 billion allocated over the next four years.

This includes $10.3 billion for transport, $4.72 billion for social infrastructure including $3.2 billion to health, and a further $6.91 billion to water and energy.

Infrastructure SA is an independent advisory body to government to enable informed and evidence-based decisions. Under its Act, Infrastructure SA must prepare a 20-year State Infrastructure Strategy and update it every five years.

The 2025 Strategy is Infrastructure SA’s second Strategy, it builds on and updates the work undertaken in the 2020 Strategy.

Key points from the strategy include:

• Infrastructure is key to lifting productivity and economic performance across South Australia, as we grow and realise our ambitions to capitalise on global green transition, be a partner of choice and build our talent;
• Infrastructure plays an important role in unlocking land for housing and ensuring our communities have access to jobs and services. It needs to be planned and funded in a way that does not add pressure on housing affordability;
• Improving liveability factors such as access to healthcare, schools and transport will be key to growing SA and retaining people;
• Sequencing land releases to support efficient and sustainable growth will help leverage existing infrastructure to its full potential;
• Reserving corridors and lands for future infrastructure will help reduce cost and meet community needs;
• We need to consider future network and wastewater treatment plant capacity for growth in northern Adelaide and greater transparency in network capacity;
• With a growing school-aged population, we need to consider optimising school capacity to maximise current assets, by adopting strategies to increase demand for schools with capacity in established areas.

To inform the development of the 2025 Strategy, a Discussion Paper was released in 2023, asking South Australians their views on the key infrastructure challenges and opportunities that needed to be considered in our planning. Over 100 submissions were received and helped identify core themes and issues to be addressed across the state.

Infrastructure SA adopted the vision of the South Australian Economic Statement to develop an economy fit for the future, improving the wellbeing of all South Australians, and delivering an economy that is smart, sustainable and inclusive.

Four outcomes were developed to support achieve this vision, as outlined below.

• Paving the way to prosperity: Infrastructure is a catalyst for unlocking economic growth
• Liveable today, flourishing tomorrow: Well-planned infrastructure creates resilient, inclusive and vibrant communities
• Shaping a sustainable future: Infrastructure decisions advance climate readiness, safeguard nature and culture and promote a circular economy
• Elevating impact: Optimised infrastructure investments drive economic, environmental and social value.

Across the four outcomes, 34 recommendations were identified, each with a nominated lead agency and timeframe. These will guide infrastructure planning and investment decisions over the coming years and provide a framework for prioritising major projects.

To read the 2025 Strategy, access Infrastructure SA’s website at https://www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/

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Quotes

Attributable to Peter Malinauskas

South Australia is building, with a growing economy and the opportunity for increasing prosperity.

But we need to have the infrastructure in place to capitalise on the opportunities before us.

My Government is determined to do that, and has already committed to a record $25.6 billion over the next four years.

This strategy lays out a clear and evidence-based approach to plan, maintain and deliver infrastructure in the right place at the right time for future generations.

The Government has worked collaboratively with Infrastructure SA to align its work with our other strategies, such as the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan (GARP) and the Transport Strategy, which will be released this week.

This alignment will allow our government to make smart, forward-looking decisions to ensure South Australia has the infrastructure it needs to support jobs, communities and the environment.

Through smarter investment and long-term planning, South Australia will be better positioned for continued prosperity and sustainability.

Attributable to Infrastructure SA Chair Anthony Shepherd AO

Infrastructure plays a key role in facilitating our economic growth, productivity and leveraging our strengths as a state. South Australia is well placed to realise opportunities associated with our natural resources, energy, and defence sector capabilities.

Given the ambitious and essential forward program of infrastructure investment, industry capacity constraints and growing net debt, we must optimise every dollar of our infrastructure spend. Consideration should be given to explore opportunities for common-user infrastructure and to leverage private sector financing, when it is logical and efficient to do so.

We look forward to working collaboratively across Government to implement the Strategy’s recommendations, in support of driving a productive and growing economy that will benefit current and future generations of South Australians.