Poor infrastructure holding WA property development back: Property Council of Australia

Poor infrastructure provisioning is holding back Western Australia's growth, according to a new report from the Property Council of Australia (PCA).

The report, Mind the Gap: The Costs of WA’s Infrastructure Provisioning Framework, found that public investment in the state’s infrastructure was an average of 1.5% of gross state product (GSP), below the international norm of 3.8%. This leaves a $59.2 billion shortfall, according to the report.

“This research demonstrates that WA needs an independent infrastructure body that takes responsibility for its planning, prioritisation and delivery,” said PCA’s executive director Joe Lenzo.

“Poor infrastructure provisioning adds unnecessary risk to projects, making it difficult to secure debt financing and attract capital.”

Lenzo said that about 10% of property development projects are delayed due to poor infrastructure provisions, which add risk to the development projects.

He said that if the state is to meet global benchmarks, $22.1 billion in infrastructure expenditure per annum is necessary.

“Business-as-usual is not an option if we want to provide the infrastructure necessary to support WA’s growth,” he said.

“Implementing a strong infrastructure provisioning process will ensure that scarce infrastructure dollars are directed where they are most needed and where the best value for money can be realised.”