They know how to do things down under!

One of the things I admire about Australians is that they know how to get things done.

This week the new Labour government - facing severe infrastructure problems at the country’s ports and on railways and roads - appointed a minister for infrastructure.

Kevin Rudd’s government realised that blockages in the ports and bottlenecks on the roads and railways were damaging the country’s burgeoning exports, and holding the economy back, much as the inadequate motorways and railways in the Thames Valley are impeding our growth.

Down under, they have set up Infrastructure Australia, a public-private partnership, which looks at priority projects identified by the government, and seeks to find engineering, technological and financial solutions to bring them forward.

Wouldn’t it be good if there was a similar body, Infrastructure Britain, to design, fund and execute projects such as increasing the capacity of the M4 and providing an extension of the Heathrow Express to Slough, so we could have a direct rail link to the world’s busiest international airport?

I have been thinking about this as TVEP has been receiving strong support from many quarters for our lunch at the House of Commons, canvassing support for our transport goals.

We have the Eddington report, recommending priority should be given to these matters, but there is no system in Whitehall and Westminster to get things moving.

Following that lunch, I summed up our views in a letter to the Minister of Transport, which you can click here to read.

Please continue to give TVEP your support