Infrastructure First – the CharterInfrastructure First was launched on 25 May 2005. The initiative is in response to growing concern that Australian governments are failing in their duty to supply and maintain the infrastructure needed for successful and fully-functioning community life, in effect passing our responsibilities on to succeeding generations. What is Infrastructure First?It is an independent group of leading business, community and academic commentators, all with considerable expertise in their respective fields, brought together by the Housing Industry Association to identify how infrastructure shortages affect the quality of life for Australians, and to devise and recommend solutions that achieve positive social, economic and environmental outcomes. What are the group’s common aims and purposes?Individuals are united in their belief that present government policies are not providing the infrastructure that will sustain and develop communities within Australia. They are prepared to work, both individually and as a group, to ensure alternatives to the present unsatisfactory situation are placed in the public domain. What makes Infrastructure First different from other groups?Other organisations are working in the general field of infrastructure investment, but Infrastructure First is the only group dealing specifically with the impact on infrastructure shortages on communities – where people live and work. Who is involved?The group comprises: Chair: Peter Grigg (HIA National President 2003-2005). Members: Bernard Salt (KPMG), Rod Fehring (Delfin Lend Lease), Heather Ridout (AIG), Peter Crowley (GWA), Kathryn Fagg (BlueScope Steel), Alan Beale (ELGAS), Professor Julian Disney (UNSW) and Professor John Quiggin (UQ). What will Infrastructure First produce?A series of discussion papers will lead the debate on the need for infrastructure investment and development in urban and rural Australia, concentrating on where people live and work. The first of these papers will be launched at the HIA Expo in Brisbane in May. It is expected the papers will generate a series of media releases, opinion articles, letters to the editor and media interviews.
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Peter Grigg, a qualified accountant, spent over 30 years working with CSR across Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales. He held a wide range of positions in both sales and general management including as national general manager, sales and distribution of CSR Building Materials prior to his retirement in 1999. As a member of HIA’s National Board of Directors since 1991, Mr Grigg has been a key player in the commercial development of HIA. He served as the national treasurer from 1995 until 2002, shortly before his election to the national presidency in 2003. As national president, Mr Grigg worked tirelessly towards achieving positive outcomes in the key areas of housing affordability, skills formation and infrastructure development.
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Peter Grigg
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Alan Beale has been managing director of Elgas for eighteen years. Elgas is the largest marketer of LPG in Australia. Before joining Elgas, he held a number of chief executive positions in the gas, quarrying and publishing industries both in Australia and overseas. Mr Beale holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries. He is also a Fellow of both the Australian Institute of Management and the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Mr Beale is immediate past president of the Australian Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association (ALPGA). He last served as president in 1990 and 1991 and was on the Board of the ALPGA for seventeen years. He is also the Chairman of Unigas, an autogas joint venture between Elgas and Wesfarmers Kleenheat. Since 2002 Mr Beale has been Chairman of G.A.I.N. (The Global Autogas Industry Network), part of the World LPG Association, based in Paris. In September 2004 Mr Beale was elected to the World LP Gas Association Board in recognition of his contributions to W.L.P.G.A. and G.A.I.N.
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Mr Crowley has extensive public company experience both in Australia and overseas. GWA is a diversified Australian manufacturing company incorporating Caroma and Fowler sanitaryware, Dorf taps, Clark sinks, Gainsborough door furniture, Dux hot water, Sebel furniture and Rover Mowers. From 2001 to early 2003 Mr Crowley was managing director and chief executive of Austrim Nylex Limited. Between 1982 and 2000 Peter held various positions within the cement and concrete industry within Australia and abroad culminating in the position of Executive Director, The Rugby Group PLC and non-executive director of Adelaide Brighton Limited.
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Peter Crowley
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Faculty of Law, University of NSW |
Julian Disney is professor and director of the Social Justice Project at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. He was chair of the NSW Government’s Task Force on Affordable Housing, the National Advisory Committee for the UN global conference on housing, Habitat II, and the National Summit on Housing Affordability in 2004.
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Kathryn Fagg is responsible for BlueScope Lysaght in Australia, BlueScope Water, International Markets, Logistics and Information Services as well as the overall marketing, sales and service capability across BlueScope Steel.
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Kathryn Fagg President,
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Mr Fehring began his career in 1980 as the development officer for City of Maryborough. He moved to the Victorian Ministry of Planning and Housing in 1983 as the Manager of the projects and property division. Rod then moved to the Victorian Urban Land Authority in 1998 as the Director of Project Management and became the chief operating officer in 1994. Mr Fehring moved to Delfin Limited in 1996 as the business development manager and was appointed the general manager of Victoria in 1997 before taking on the role of chief executive of Delfin Lend Lease in December 2001. |
Rod Fehring
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Professor John Quiggin is an Australian Research Council Federation Fellow in Economics and Political Science at the University of Queensland. Professor Quiggin has published more than 700 research articles, books and reports in fields including risk analysis, production economics, and environmental economics. He has also written on policy topics including unemployment policy, micro-economic reform, privatisation, competitive tendering, and sustainable management of the Murray–Darling system. |
Professor John Quiggin
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Heather Ridout |
Heather Ridout is chief executive of the Australian Industry Group, and has previously held the positions of deputy chief executive and executive director of public policy and communications. Ms Ridout has responsibility for the overall development and implementation of the Australian Industry Group's policies, strategies and services. Her policy interests embrace the whole range of industry and she has been particularly active in developing Ai Group's public policy in relation to economic, industry, innovation, education and training. Ms Ridout was recently acknowledged as one of Australia’s top 25 leaders in the Australian Financial Review’s Boss Magazine.
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Bernard Salt is KPMG Partner of Property. He has established an enviable profile within corporate Australia as an adviser and as a commentator on consumer, cultural and demographic trends. Mr Salt has particular expertise in the consumer market and cultural changes. He provides a pacey and dynamic expose of cultural and social change, and demographic shifts, focusing on the outlook and implications for business over the next two decades.
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Bernard Salt
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