Greater Perth, as WA’s primary economic and population centre, is critical to the state’s long-term prosperity. As the city grows to a population of around 3.5 million by 2050, it must evolve into a more compact, connected, and climate-resilient metropolis. Achieving this transformation will require a shift away from low-density urban expansion toward a more sustainable development model that promotes housing diversity, affordability, and equitable access to services and employment.
Strategic investment in industry and innovation precincts, integrated transport systems, and green infrastructure will be essential to enhancing productivity, fostering economic growth and diversity, reducing congestion, and preserving Perth’s global reputation for liveability and environmental quality.
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This Focus Area work program is proposed to include:
Learn from global peers: Compare Greater Perth to similar cities around the world to see what is working and what could improve.
Find what’s holding us back: Examine Perth’s infrastructure networks and how they shape housing, access to jobs, economic performance, energy and water use, and climate readiness.
Test reform ideas: Explore future scenarios to test different reform and investment options under varying social, economic and environmental conditions.
Bundle and assess options: Evaluate the best combinations of policy, governance and investment ideas to identify practical and high-impact infrastructure reform opportunities.
Build a long-term infrastructure roadmap: Sequence the top reform and investment priorities to guide coordinated action over the short, medium and long term.
Regional WA holds significant potential to drive economic diversification, strengthen supply chains and support inclusive, state-wide growh. Realising this potential requires tailored, place-based infrastructure solutions that reflect the distinct strengths, needs and aspirations of each region.
Strengthening Regional Centres, the key service and economic hubs within the regions, will be essential to improving access to services, attracting and retaining skilled workers, and enabling industry development. At the same time, enhancing liveability in remote Aboriginal communities through co-designed, culturally appropriate infrastructure is vital to closing the gap and supporting cultural continuity on Country.
A more connected, resilient regional network will ensure that the benefits of growth are shared equitably across the state – supporting vibrant communities, sustainable industries and long-term regional prosperity.
This Focus Area work program is proposed to include:
Understand regional infrastructure gaps: Benchmark infrastructure and service levels in regional and sub-regional centres to highlight where improvements are needed.
Work with Aboriginal communities: Co-design infrastructure and service solutions that reflect local priorities and cultural needs, building on existing reforms.
Tailor each region’s potential: Assess the economic profile and growth outlook of each region to match the infrastructure needs with local opportunities.
Back the region with the most promise: Identify the regional centres and industry areas best placed to grow, and align infrastructure to support jobs, housing and services.
Identify what’s needed and when: Develop clear, phased infrastructure roadmaps that respond to market conditions and unlock new regional industries.
Bundle priorities into an investment plan: Package infrastructure projects with policy and delivery reforms to attract co-investment and deliver lasting regional benefits.
Climate change presents one of the most urgent and complex challenges of our time. WA must not only contribute to global emissions reduction but also prepare for the accelerating impacts of a changing climate. Infrastructure will be critical to this response – requiring design and adaptation that can withstand more frequent and severe weather events, safeguard natural ecosystems, and ensure the continuity of essential services.
A coordinated, long-term approach to climate adaptation – integrating nature-based solutions, resilient design, and strategic investment – will be essential to safeguarding communities, minimising economic disruption, and positioning WA as a global leader in climate resilience.
This Focus Area work program is proposed to include:
Understand where we stand: Review current infrastructure and climate policies to map risks, vulnerabilities, and key pressure points across WA.
Measure the economic risks: Assess the long-term economic impact of climate change and the value of investing in smarter, more resilient infrastructure.
Learn from others: Examine national and global case studies to identify what’s worked elsewhere and what could be adapted to WA’s needs.
Unlock new funding models: Explore innovative ways to finance resilient, climate-ready infrastructure that supports both communities and the economy.
Track progress over time: Create a maturity model to measure how well WA’s infrastructure system is supporting climate adaptation and where we need to improve and when.
Map the path forward: Build a policy and investment roadmap to guide WA’s transition into a global leader in climate adaptation.
The transition to a green economy represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape WA’s industrial landscape and secure long-term economic prosperity. With abundant renewable resources, strategic and critical minerals, and deep industrial expertise, WA is uniquely positioned to lead in clean energy production and advanced manufacturing of low-emissions technologies and sustainable industrial goods.
Infrastructure will be fundamental to enabling this transformation through targeted investment in transmission networks, ports, industrial precincts, and digital systems that support highly productive low-emissions industries. To attract global capital and remain competitive, WA must foster investment-ready conditions, streamline approvals, and build strong partnerships with industry and Traditional Owners.
A proactive, coordinated approach will be essential to ensure the benefits of this transformation are widely shared, supporting inclusive growth and long-term resilience.
This Focus Area work program is proposed to include:
Learn from global leaders and the past: Study how other locations around the world have used infrastructure to drive major industrial and economic transitions and apply the best ideas to WA.
Find what is holding us back: Identify barriers and opportunities across energy, transport, water, land and digital infrastructure in WA’s key industrial and renewable opportunity areas.
Build the playbook: Develop region-specific toolkits to guide infrastructure reform and investment decisions based on real-world use cases and future scenarios.
Partner for impact: Work with government, industry and Traditional Owners to co-design infrastructure solutions that support new industries and a fair transition.
Make data work smarter: Use data and analytics to track constraints, map investment options and support better decision-making.
Set the path for action: Deliver infrastructure roadmaps for WA’s priority strategic industrial regions to shape investment priorities and secure funding.
