Infrastructure WA

36. Support improved infrastructure planning and decision-making by:

1. establishing an appropriate mechanism to embed and communicate the required use of the Strategic Asset Management Framework, including the requirement for all state agencies and government trading enterprises to comply
2. ensuring that all business case decision-making is considered by the Expenditure Review Committee of State Cabinet, and that all business cases contain the full range of content, relevant to their project value, as required by the Strategic Asset Management Framework
3. providing a centralised fund to support development of prioritised business cases, with an increased emphasis on building public sector capacity in state agencies and centralised expert units
4. updating the Strategic Asset Management Framework’s Business Case Guidelines to require consideration of interrelated infrastructure needs beyond the primary investment with other state agencies and government trading enterprises, along with the full costs and benefits, through early engagement and integrated business cases
5. requiring a benefits management plan to be completed and ensuring Infrastructure WA undertakes a post-completion review for all projects and programs that are required to undergo Major Infrastructure Proposal Assessment
6. updating the Strategic Asset Management Framework’s Strategic Asset Plan and Business Case guidelines to strengthen requirements for state agencies and government trading enterprises to demonstrate consideration of this Strategy and other relevant strategic planning documents and how they have informed the development of all related strategic asset plan and business case content
7. ensuring strategic asset plans are at the centre of a robust and transparent annual process, involving:
   1. systematic analysis of all strategic asset plans on an individual and amalgamated basis by Department of Treasury and IWA
   2. undertaking analysis and preparing content to inform the annual 10-year state infrastructure program
   3. engagement by the Department of Treasury with all strategic asset plan–producing state agencies and government trading enterprises to provide feedback to assist in ongoing improvement.

WA Government response

The WA Government responded to Foundation for a stronger tomorrow in February 2023. Recommendation 36 (a,b,d,f,g) is fully supported; (e) is partially supported; (c) is not supported. For further information please refer to the response document.