Chairman’s Forward
In September, Infrastructure Partnerships Australia’s flagship conference, Partnerships, returned to Melbourne.
As the premier infrastructure event in the nation, Partnerships 2025 once again brought together a host of infrastructure and business leaders to directly engage on the critical issues shaping our sector now and into the future.
I am delighted to present this year’s edition of Future Building, which captures these conversations for your reflection and insight.
Partnerships 2025 carried particular significance, coinciding with the broader milestone of 20 years since the establishment of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia. It marked two decades of advancing our mission – to shape public debate, connect the sector and drive reform towards good infrastructure policy. This mission underpins the purpose of Partnerships each year.
Opening the conference, the Hon. Gabrielle Williams MP, Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure, and Minister for Public and Active Transport, outlined a suite of major projects defining Victoria’s infrastructure program. She reaffirmed the importance of a strategic, long-term approach to meeting the needs of the State’s growing population.
Building on this theme, demographer Simon Kuestenmacher painted a compelling picture of Australia’s population trajectory over the next decade. He noted that continued growth will place increasing pressure on housing, transport networks and essential services, underscoring the need for coordinated, and enduring, infrastructure planning.
The day’s discussions were further enriched by insights from respected leaders across the sector. Among these was Macquarie Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Shemara Wikramanayake, who explored the macro-economic forces shaping markets at home and abroad.
This year’s Partnerships also brought together senior leaders for a series of panel discussions exploring how organisations are addressing the sector’s most pressing challenges – from bridging the perception gap around private sector participation in public infrastructure, to accelerating Australia’s energy transition.
In recognition of our milestone year, a special panel reflected on the last two decades of policy reform, featuring some of the key figures who have been influential in driving this reform, as well as shaping the Infrastructure Partnerships Australia story.
Amid growing demand for digital infrastructure, Partnerships closed the event with a dedicated session on data centres, featuring Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CDC Greg Boorer. This discussion highlighted the pivotal role of data centres as critical infrastructure underpinning national security and economic prosperity, and reaffirmed Australia’s emerging potential as an artificial intelligence hub.
As we look to the year ahead, may these reflections spark new ideas, deepen understanding of the challenges before us, and inspire continued commitment to strengthening the future of our industry
