With around 70% of Australia’s emissions associated with infrastructure-based projects, infrastructure has a very large role to play in meeting the net zero emissions by 2050 target.
Essential infrastructure in sectors such as housing, transport, energy and water is potentially at risk from sea-level rise, coastal inundation, intensifying weather events and bushfires.
The Closing the Gap report 2020 identified that the target to close the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people by 2031 is not on track, with WA recording the largest gap of all jurisdictions for males, at 13.4 years.
In 2018, the child mortality rate for Indigenous children was 141 per 100,000, which is twice the rate for non-Indigenous children.
The employment rate for Indigenous Australians was around 49%, compared to 79% for non-Indigenous Australians.
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation has estimated that digital innovation has the potential to deliver $315 billion in gross economic value to Australia over the next decade, with the possibility of generating a quarter of a million new jobs by 2025.
On a global scale, Australia’s fixed broadband speeds lag far behind comparable developed countries and the quality, reliability and affordability of data services across WA varies greatly.
Estimated resident population: 9,262
Gross regional product: $1.6 billion
Estimated resident population: 53,914
Gross regional product: $21.9 billion
Estimated resident population: 61,351
Gross regional product: $4.1 billion
Estimated resident population: 36,054
Gross regional product: $3.2 billion
Estimated resident population: 52,769
Gross regional product: $9.5 billion
Estimated resident population: 146,239
Gross regional product: $10.3 billion
Estimated resident population: 62,841
Gross regional product: $57.3 billion
