From the CEO

From workshops, design concepts and inspiring events, our Aboriginal engagement space is ramping up with exciting developments. 

We have welcomed NANI Creative who was commissioned from our call out for an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander artists to create artwork that represents our journey so far, our values and what we do in the Aboriginal engagement space for IWA’s first Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan. 

We held a workshop with NANI Creative to establish themes and develop a creative brief for the development of a design concept and digital artwork. We are pleased to share that work is well under way by NANI with initial concepts revealed to us. Watch this space for more to come on our Reconciliation Action Plan artwork. 

Following on from the WA Government’s release of its response to the State Infrastructure Strategy, IWA, in consultation with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet is finalising a framework to support IWA’s function to monitor and report on implementation of the Strategy’s supported recommendations. 

The team has also been working in close collaboration with key central agencies on development of the Government’s first 10-year State Infrastructure Program. Read on below for more information on all these topics. 

Phil Helberg
Chief Executive Officer, Infrastructure WA

Our Aboriginal engagement space

There have been some significant happenings in the Aboriginal engagement space recently, namely the Celebrating Aboriginal Women’s Voices event, that put the spotlight on inclusive representation of Aboriginal women’s voices on panels for International Women’s Day, which was hosted by Reconciliation WA and Christine Ross Consultancy. 

Our team has also been busy workshopping with our co-chair Noel Morich, Noongar Traditional Custodian, on IWA’s Reconciliation Action Plan. These pics of our team working away were taken on Whadjuk Country until the rain set in, so the team moved indoors. Yes, that’s a Dome café!

IWA’s commitment to Aboriginal engagement has also been strengthened by our recent new board member, Noongar elder Dr Richard Walley, and with our dedicated Aboriginal Engagement Lead team member and Yamatji woman Cat Holland. Please feel free to get in contact should you wish to learn more about what IWA is doing in the Aboriginal engagement space including the Aboriginal cultural heritage, wellbeing and enterprise recommendations outlined in the State Infrastructure Strategy.

The event scene

In April our CEO Phil Helberg presented at the Infrastructure Sustainability Council’s Western Australian symposium on delivering WA’s sustainable infrastructure pipeline and IWA’s commitment and approach to sustainability, and progress to-date. 

The symposium was attended by sustainability professionals from all over WA with both local and remote presenters from Queensland, Victoria and New Zealand all sharing case studies and project information on how they have applied the IS Rating Scheme to their projects.  Sharing knowledge about both successes and challenges demonstrates the value IS Ratings can add to projects and builds collaboration across the industry. It was also great to hear about the efforts being made towards decarbonisation of mining activities from Fortescue, and the potential for mining to learn from the infrastructure sector as well. 

Attendees were also treated to a coffee cart delight as IWA was a proud sponsor of the event – as pictured!

IWA’s Chair Nicole Lockwood was a presenter at the recent Roads Australia spotlight on diversity and inclusion event for International Women’s Day. Nicole spoke about how increasing female representation is critical in improving culture and standards across the construction sector. Thank you to Nicole for her insight on helping improve culture and attract diversity. 

A panel discussion was held by the Public Sector Network as part of the Innovate WA 2023 Showcase on how working cooperatively will lead to advanced digital capability and results, which our CEO Phil Helberg was a participant.

Phil discussed with the panel about how building trust to share data between the public and private sectors is vital to unlocking these barriers to solve complex business and societal challenges. 

Our function updates

Major Infrastructure Proposal Assessment

After nearly 18 months of operation IWA’s Major Infrastructure Proposal Assessment (MIPA) function is now in full swing, with the team completing assessments on various proposals submitted by state agencies and GTEs as part of the 2023-24 State Budget process. Public summary reports from these assessments will be released by the Government in due course.

Earlier IWA assessments on the Lumsden Point General Cargo Facility and Logistics Hub Project and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development New Metropolitan Facility have recently been publicly released. The reports provide a summary of IWA’s findings and analysis on the project business cases and supporting information, while providing relevant advice to the government to support informed investment decisions.

Based on lessons learned during this initial phase of operation IWA is now in the midst of refining the MIPA function and will be releasing updated Guidelines in the coming months.

Monitoring and Reporting on Strategy Implementation 

Under the IWA Act, IWA is required to report annually on the WA Government’s progress in implementing the State Infrastructure Strategy’s supported and partially supported recommendations. 

Following the WA Government response, the team has been working in consultation with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet to finalise our framework to support preparation of IWA’s annual monitoring report. It is anticipated that the first annual monitoring report will be published by November 2023. To learn more about the Strategy’s response and its implementation and future activities, please visit our website. 

State Infrastructure Program 

IWA has been working closely with the Departments of the Premier and Cabinet and Treasury to develop a model for the Government’s first 10-year State Infrastructure Program (SIP) and to prepare its independent advice to help inform the SIP, which is due for release in August 2023. 

Under the IWA Act, from 2023 onwards the Government is required to prepare annual State Infrastructure Programs and make them publicly available within 3 months after each State Budget.

The Government is also required to take into account the recommendations in the State Infrastructure Strategy that it supported in its response, and to seek IWA’s advice when preparing the SIP.

IWA’s advice looks beyond the 0-4 year horizon of the State Budget and will focus on significant infrastructure needs and challenges likely to emerge for WA over the 5-10 year horizon.

Stay tuned for its release in August.