COMMENT: Australia should follow the lead of other nations like New Zealand and Switzerland and increase the charges for heavy vehicles on roads, proportionate to the amount of wear and tear they cause,
Read More
Why touted public transport savings from competitive tendering are too high
OPINION: Estimated cost savings for rail and bus franchising from Infrastructure Australia and PwC will have government treasurers salivating. Problem is, the figures are almost certainly far too high,
Read More
Read More
Why Gold Coast light rail was worth it (it’s about more than patronage)
ANALYSIS: The light rail project pushed up property values within 800 metres of the stations by over 30% from 1996 to 2016. Gains on this scale offer a potential source of finance for public transport,
Read More
Read More
Big data could bring about the next transport revolution, right now
ANALYSIS: To ease the stress of commuting, don’t ditch the train – just make it smarter, Marcin Budka and Manuel Martin Salvador write.
The future of transport appears full of fun and flashy
Read More
Read More
To get the ‘good debt’ tick, infrastructure needs to be fit for the future
OPINION: If infrastructure is to meet the needs and challenges of an uncertain future, we need to move beyond the AAA ratings mindset and aim for net-positive social and ecological outcomes as well, Cynthia
Read More
Read More
Big dollars for infrastructure, little transparency
COMMENT: Scott Morrison’s ‘good debt’ conversion has underpinned a $70 billion infrastructure spending program. Phillip O’Neill and Marion Terrill discuss.
O’Neill:
Read More
Read More
Victorian budget splash raises questions about privatisation
COMMENT: The Victorian budget brought with it an increase in privatisation, which follows on from other state budgets, but the evidence for efficiency in this type of system isn’t there, David Hayward
Read More
Read More
Highlighting ‘good and bad’ debt will make it harder to fund social programs
COMMENT: Restricting ‘good debt’ to funding physical assets could make it harder to fund education, health, and other social initiatives, Fabrizio Carmignani writes.
In the forthcoming
Read More
Read More
Where are they now? What public transport data reveal about lockout laws and nightlife patronage
COMMENT: Policy changes such as the ‘lockout laws’ have had profound impacts on inner Sydney nightlife. Transport data help us see whether these have caused problems to spill over into neighbouring
Read More
Read More
Making sense of the global infrastructure turn
COMMENT: The trillions of dollars spent on infrastructure demands democratic transparency and accountability. This applies to both the investment and to the effects on cities, societies and the environment,
Read More
Read More