Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Hansard source

We won't be supporting these amendments. The Independent Review of Infrastructure Australia recommended that IA's role in project evaluation relate to proposals with Commonwealth investment of $250 million or where projects are recognised as nationally significant. The monetary threshold also aligns with the Albanese government's focus on investing in projects that are truly nationally significant, not smaller projects in marginal electorates. It's for this reason that we're unable to support the proposal of the $100 million threshold.

In relation to the undertaking around cost-benefit analysis, in accordance with the independent review, Infrastructure Australia will have the function of evaluating or endorsing evaluations undertaken by states and territories. The bill does not need to explicitly say 'cost-benefit analysis' because it is inherent that an assessment of a project would include an assessment of the benefits and the costs of the project.

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