Publications

- March 1, 2015: Vol. 8, Number 3

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Civilization from the ground up: Funding, productivity, employment, environment and social utility play major roles in infrastructure projects

by Dan Brown and Chris Case

Infrastructure. Early civilization was built upon it: roads, bridges, dams, aqueducts, sewers and ports. Today, developed nations have added to these ancient beginnings new technologies such as power, satellite communications and high-speed long-distance travel. Fiber optic and wireless communications are perhaps the latest infrastructure frontier. Together, these infrastructure systems are so intertwined with day-to-day life that it is only when these systems strain, their costs increase or environmental side effects become severe that we, at a broad society level, give them refocused attention. For Australia, and many other parts of the world, that time is now.

Five key challenges face Australia’s infrastructure, and low oil prices will have impacts on and opportunities for Australian construction activities in 2015.

But first, some perspective: The Business Council of Australia estimates that over the next decade Australia must spend $593 billion to deliver Austra

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