A REPORT card by Engineers Australia on Western Australia’s infrastructure has rated the state’s airports the worst in Australia and telecommunications facilities as equal worst with NSW.
A REPORT card by Engineers Australia on Western Australia’s infrastructure has rated the state’s airports the worst in Australia and telecommunications facilities as equal worst with NSW.
In its 2010 Western Australia Infrastructure Report Card released this week, Engineers Australia said WA’s infrastructure was generally ‘adequate’ (but needing major changes) to ‘good’ (needing minor changes).
So far this year the professional body has released report cards on all states and territories except Queensland and the Northern Territory.
The state’s airport facilities were given a C+ rating compared to Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales (B), South Australia and Tasmania (B-).
The C rating suggests that the infrastructure is adequate but major changes are required.
The report said the rating recognised there had been significant investment in the Perth Airport but it had fallen behind the dramatic growth in demand.
“There is ongoing concern about the commitment to, and the timing and logistics of, the International Terminal consolidation and the major road improvements around the airport,” the report said.
However, the report acknowledged improvements in the state’s regional airports.
“There has been an appropriate level of development at regional airports to meet changing demand, and incremental and sustained improvements in remote airport infrastructure due to the Regional Airport Development Scheme,” the report said.
Engineers Australia rated WA’s telecommunication facilities at C-, alongside NSW.
This compared to the ACT (B-), Tasmania (C+) and Victoria and South Australia (C).
The report acknowledged that the public switched telephone network was of a good standard.
However it was critical of the network’s ability to provide data services, and was also critical of mobile phone coverage outside of the metropolitan area.
“Mobile phone coverage in larger urban areas across the state is adequate, however there is a lack of coverage outside major regional centres and, critically, along major highways,” the report said.
“In addition, there is a lack of competitive infrastructure for mobile phone networks outside major centres.”
While Engineers Australia rates WA poorly in these two areas, its C+ rating for rail infrastructure was significantly ahead of the other states.
Tasmania and ACT received an F, NSW a D-, and South Australia a C for their rail infrastructure.
The report acknowledged the work done on the metropolitan rail network, but was critical of the overcrowding at peak times and insufficient parking at stations and the rail regional network.
Engineers Australia will release its critique of the NT, Queensland and a national report card next month.
