Sir Rod Eddington may warn against “bridges over puddles and roads to nowhere” in the Herald Sun article but his recommendations on further “regulatory reform” to facilitate PPP’s and ease in tendering is a major concern.

Of specific concerns are his comments on PPPs, Federal and State duplication, environmental regulation and the high cost of bidding.

It would appear that deregulation is an important platform in the Transport Lobby’s agenda and as the Victorian Government is already introducing legislation to further deregulate access codes for land developers – we need to be vigilant and active in opposition – a pattern is clearly emerging.

Herald Sun:  Road to ruin warning from Sir Rod Eddington

The Federal Government’s leading adviser on roads, rail and ports has warned against a Greek-style binge on “bridges over puddles and roads to nowhere”.

Sir Rod Eddington, who chairs the government body that reviews proposes big-ticket infrastructure projects, said the nation’s arteries were under stress after two decades of underinvestment.

But he underlined the need to bring in private funding for vital projects and warned against simply funding them without undertaking rigorous studies into costs and benefits.

“If you build bridges over puddles and roads to nowhere, you do nothing for productivity,” Sir Rod said, addressing the Australian British Chamber of Commerce in Melbourne yesterday. Continue Reading…