Environmental concerns listed as Australian infrastructure priority

CANBERRA, Feb. 26 -- Australia's peak infrastructure body has identified environmental concerns as its top priority for the first time.
   In its latest list of priorities released on Wednesday, Infrastructure Australia elevated environmental concerns, listing water security, waste management and protection against coastal flooding as high priority projects.
   It cited a renewed focus on "resilience" from natural disasters induced by climate change.
   "We're acknowledging that these weather events are having an impact on our infrastructure and it's really important that everyone take that into account," Romilly Madew, the chief executive of Infrastructure Australia, told the Guardian.
   According to Infrastructure Australia, a coastal flood of up to 1 meter can cause damage worth up to 80,000 Australian dollars to every affected household.
   Madew said that half of Australia's densely populated coastline was vulnerable to rising sea lines, having possible implications for telecommunications, rail, roads, housing and social infrastructure.
   The report, which drew on 249 submissions, said solutions to the flooding threat could include seawalls and called for a policy response including "actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and planning controls for vulnerable areas."
   A national water strategy was also identified as a high priority project in the wake of the devastating drought that affected most of the east coast in 2018-19.
   The government of New South Wales (NSW) in August 2018 declared that 100 percent of the state was in drought as was almost two-thirds of Queensland.
   Madew said that a national plan would improve resilience for future droughts and reduce the risk of "severe urban water shortages or restrictions." (1 U.S. dollar equals 1.52 Australian dollar)