Public-private collaboration is crucial, even for private sector projects.
Public-sector involvement should be strengthened by government taking a major role in:
. engaging stakeholders and the public
. identifying public interest objectives
. defining regulatory regimes
Public-sector involvement should be weakened in the following ways:
. no total sovereign guarantee should be given to lenders
. Government should not act as project promoters but should, instead, enforce the arms-length principle
Private involvement should be strengthened by:
. involving a degree of private risk capital
. involving private consortia in performance-based project design
Private involvement should be weakened:
. lobby groups should be given less opportunity for rent-seeking behaviour
- Bent Flyvbjerg, Nils Bruzelius and Werner Rothengatter, in Megaprojects and Risk

Given the large amount of money spent on infrastructure projects, it is remarkable how little data and research are available that would help answer the two basic questions: (i) whether such projects have the intended effect; and (ii) how the actual viability of such projects compares to projected viability.
- Bent Flyvbjerg, Nils Bruzelius and Werner Rothengatter, in Megaprojects and Risk. (From a study of hundreds of "megaprojects", they concluded that endemic cost over-runs and demand under-runs stemmed not so much from lack of technical skills or data but from a lack of accountability).

While NSW and the federal government have argued about the Pacific Highway and the Albury Bypass, the Chinese have not only done both, but six laned the Newell and the Bruce and most of the urban and rural freight routes which remain mere dreams in this country. And while federal Transport minister John Anderson flip-flopped about whether he'd stay or retire, China four-laned from Brisbane to Darwin and completed all the Sydney ring roads.
On top of the 25,000 kms of expressway, they've built another 730,000 kms of good bitumen highway - in the last decade. That's half a metre or more of road base with a thick asphalt seal and concrete edging and all the trimmings of slip lanes and signage.
Most expressways are tolled (you pay per kilometre), but diesel costs barely two thirds the Australian price (about 45 cents per litre). Most of the country's urban commercial vehicles have switched to cleaner burning natural gas.
China believes good infrastructure is the cornerstone of their economic development. Logistics now accounts for around 25 percent of their GDP (Australia is around 7 percent).
- from editorial in ATN, October 31 2003.

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