on the southeast corridor proves to be unviable, it is too early to make a call either way. There is no easy solution on this corridor. Finally, we considered high-speed rail between Melbourne and Sydney and to Geelong (ref. HSR and GFR). While we haven’t recommended high-speed rail as a priority given its high cost and other pressing needs across the state, the Victorian Government would need to be an active participant should the Commonwealth Government or the private sector seek to pursue such a scheme. Over the much longer term, it’s possible that revolutionary new technologies will become available that bring down the cost and delivery of a much faster service than currently achieved in high-speed rail systems internationally. INSIGHT: What can Victoria do to improve internet and mobile coverage? Communications infrastructure in Australia is predominantly delivered by the private sector and regulated by the Commonwealth Government. The Productivity Commission is currently undertaking an enquiry to determine to what extent, in the evolving Australian telecommunications market, policies may be required to support universal access to a minimum level of retail telecommunications services. The findings of the inquiry will be available in April 2017 and will set the direction on this issue. The Government does, however, have some important levers for improving ICT connectivity across Victoria. It is both a communications infrastructure owner and a significant purchaser of ICT services. We’ve recommended government use these levers to influence the shape of Commonwealth initiatives and private sector ventures to get better outcomes for all parties and for the people of Victoria. For example, VicTrack operates Victoria’s second largest telecommunications network, providing primary telecommunications services for the transport sector. Included in its asset portfolio is a network of base stations and towers running along train lines. Opportunities therefore exist to partner with private communications providers to upgrade these assets for mutual benefit. There are also potential opportunities arising from the expected transition of emergency management communications from existing traditional radio networks, which cover 96 percent of the land mass and 99 percent of the population, to new mobile systems that will enable greater interconnectivity and data sharing. Whatever solution is pursued, enhanced communications coverage will be required, which could be of broader benefit to the community. The impact of such initiatives could be even more powerful if state government took a more coordinated, proactive approach to using and integrating its existing ICT networks and leveraging the public sector’s combined purchasing power.
further research is required on the level to which this option should be applied. For example, evidence on a level of treatment, scale of application and broader wastewater management impacts would inform a recommendation. Similarly, we considered whether additional infrastructure connectivity and optimisation is required (ref. WIO1). a range of smaller-scale projects has been identified, longer-term uncertainty on the of large-scale connections prevented a clear recommendation on this. Building major new dams as a long-term strategy to increase water security is not recommended (ref. WSA2). Evidence suggests that stream flows in Victorian catchments are likely to decrease with climatic variation. Opportunities to site dams with suitable yields for major water supply augmentation are very limited and would require consideration of environmental impacts. INSIGHT: Governance and the water cycle city? The objectives of water management have changed over time from securing large quantities of water to supply growing cities, to minimising public health safety risks through wastewater management, to mitigating flood impacts by providing drainage, and more recently to incorporating principles of environmental sustainability. Recognising interdependencies of the water cycle is important in water management planning. Research suggests that we are in the phase of the ‘water cycle city’, defined as conserving available water resources while actively considering a diverse range of new supply sources to meet fit-for-purpose uses. This means, for example, considering how to optimally match rainfall stormwater, groundwater, recycled water, greywater and desalinated water resources to household, irrigation and industrial demands. is growing interest in solutions to secure water resources as cities around the world grapple with growing populations, environmental degradation and the broader impacts of climate change. However, research drawing on information from Australia, New Zealand and Canada also indicates that in moving towards a total water cycle approach to urban water management, institutional barriers present a major hurdle to overcome. This is because institutional arrangements generally reflect ‘older’ water management objectives such as large-scale, centralised water supply and a conservative approach through risk-free preferences. forward, however, and considering the significant investments required for major water supply augmentation, governance arrangements that enable informed community debate, innovation and adaptability are more likely to lead to environmentally sustainable and approaches to water management that may begin to fully realise the vision of the water cycle city. In some cases this may mean localised solutions that increase resilience while utilising available water resources.