Worker shortages in regional areas risk delays and budget blowouts in the push to turbocharge green energy projects, according to analysis from Infrastructure Partnerships Australia.
The analysis comes as Infrastructure Minister Catherine King prepares to axe or delay federal funding to dozens of projects due to $32.8 billion worth of budget blowouts. An independent audit of current commitments found no new projectsThe blowout represents a 41 per cent rise in the $80 billion, 10-year federal budget allocation to the Infrastructure Investment Program, which Ms King accused the Coalition of failing to properly fund.
The pipeline is now more regional than urban on a per capita basis, the IPA analysis suggests, but the fact that 72 per cent of Australia’s population lives in major cities has major implications for project delivery. “Residential areas where these workers will be living must be well serviced with essential health and education services, and employment prospects – not just for the workers themselves, but their families.