Introduction
The Priority Infrastructure Plan (PIP) is a strategic framework guiding the development of essential infrastructure for growing communities. By identifying key projects and promoting efficient, sustainable planning, PIP supports urban growth, economic vitality, and long-term community development.
Understanding the Priority Infrastructure Plan
What Is a Priority Infrastructure Plan?
A Priority Infrastructure Plan is a statutory document embedded within a local government’s planning scheme that identifies the infrastructure required to support urban development over a 10 to 15-year horizon . It serves as the critical bridge between land use planning and the physical networks needed to service new communities.
In some jurisdictions, these plans have evolved into what are now called Local Government Infrastructure Plans (LGIPs) , which contain additional layers of transparency and accountability while serving the same fundamental purpose . Whether called a PIP or LGIP, the core function remains consistent: to ensure that infrastructure delivery keeps pace with development in a coordinated way.
The Core Components of a Priority Infrastructure Plan
A comprehensive Priority Infrastructure Plan comprises several interconnected elements :
- Planning Assumptions: Projections for population growth, employment growth, and the type, scale, location, and timing of future development
- Priority Infrastructure Area (PIA) : The designated urban footprint where development will be concentrated and serviced by government infrastructure networks
- Desired Standards of Service (DSS) : The performance levels expected for each trunk infrastructure network
- Plans for Trunk Infrastructure (PFTI) : Maps and schedules identifying required infrastructure including water supply, sewerage, roads, pathways, public open space, and community facilities
- Future Works Schedule: The anticipated timeline for delivering trunk infrastructure projects
These components work together to answer four fundamental questions: what infrastructure is required, where it is needed, when it must be delivered, and why it is necessary .
The Evolution from PIP to LGIP
In response to state government reforms aimed at ensuring sustainable development outcomes, many jurisdictions have transitioned from Priority Infrastructure Plans to Local Government Infrastructure Plans . This evolution reflects a commitment to greater transparency, improved infrastructure charging methodologies, and enhanced coordination between planning and infrastructure delivery. The fundamental purpose remains unchanged, but the framework has been strengthened to better support growth while maintaining affordability for communities.
The Priority Infrastructure Area: Concentrating Growth Strategically
Defining the Priority Infrastructure Area
The Priority Infrastructure Area (PIA) is perhaps the most critical element of any Priority Infrastructure Plan. It represents the preferred urban area for a local government area over a 10 to 15-year planning horizon . The PIA identifies land where adequate infrastructure currently exists or can be efficiently provided to accommodate forecast population and employment growth.
Development within the PIA is planned to be serviced by the government’s infrastructure network, resulting in lower infrastructure costs and more affordable living for residents . This concentration of development serves multiple purposes:
- Directing new development to areas where infrastructure is already in place or planned
- Ensuring efficient utilisation of existing infrastructure networks
- Minimising ongoing maintenance and operational costs
- Reducing the cost burden on ratepayers
How the PIA Is Determined
The PIA is calculated using robust methodology that considers :
- Growth trends: Established from census information and historical development patterns
- Growth projections: Modelled on the take-up of urban-zoned or approved land
- Infrastructure efficiency: Where Council can efficiently provide infrastructure while maintaining affordable cost of living
- Urban fringe requirements: Land needed to support urban growth over the planning period
This evidence-based approach ensures that the PIA reflects realistic growth expectations while avoiding speculative inclusion of land unlikely to be developed within the planning horizon.
Development Outside the PIA
An important consideration for landowners and developers is that areas outside the PIA are not intended to be serviced by government infrastructure networks during the planning period . Urban development outside the PIA may be required to provide its own trunk infrastructure where needed, potentially resulting in significantly higher development costs. This distinction reinforces the importance of the PIA as the focal point for coordinated, cost-effective growth.
Trunk Infrastructure: The Backbone of Communities
What Is Trunk Infrastructure?
Trunk infrastructure refers to the “higher order” network infrastructure that serves multiple developments and provides distribution or collection functions across wider catchments . This contrasts with non-trunk infrastructure, which is typically internal to a development or connects individual properties to external networks.
Types of Trunk Infrastructure
Priority Infrastructure Plans typically address five trunk infrastructure networks :
Transport Networks:
- Roads and sub-arterial connections
- Cycleways and footpaths
- Public transport infrastructure including bus stops
Water Cycle Management:
- Water supply networks including reservoirs and trunk mains
- Sewerage systems including pump stations
- Stormwater quality and quantity management
Community Infrastructure:
- Public parks and open space
- Land for community facilities
- District and regional parks
Examples of trunk infrastructure include district parks, sub-arterial roads, sewerage pump stations, and water supply reservoirs . These assets form the essential framework upon which communities are built.
The Role of State-Controlled Infrastructure
Not all infrastructure falls within local government responsibility. Major roads such as highways and arterial routes are often controlled by state transport departments . Planning for state-controlled infrastructure requires collaboration between levels of government to ensure integrated networks that serve community needs effectively. Priority Infrastructure Plans must acknowledge these interfaces and coordinate with state agency planning processes.
The Planning Framework: From Assumptions to Delivery
Developing Planning Assumptions
Robust Priority Infrastructure Plans begin with credible planning assumptions about population, housing, and employment growth . These assumptions draw from census data, development trends, and regional growth forecasts. They establish the foundation for determining infrastructure demand and timing.
Establishing Desired Standards of Service
The Desired Standards of Service (DSS) document the performance levels expected for each trunk infrastructure network . These standards address questions such as:
- What level of road congestion is acceptable?
- How much parkland per resident should be provided?
- What water pressure and reliability standards must be met?
The DSS ensures that infrastructure planning is grounded in clear community expectations rather than ad hoc decisions.
Creating Plans for Trunk Infrastructure
Plans for Trunk Infrastructure (PFTI) translate assumptions and standards into spatial reality . These maps show:
- The location of existing trunk infrastructure
- Planned future infrastructure extensions and upgrades
- Catchment areas served by each network component
The PFTI provides developers and the community with certainty about where infrastructure will be delivered and what contributions may be required.
Sequencing Through the Future Works Schedule
The Future Works Schedule outlines when trunk infrastructure will be delivered over the planning period . This schedule is essential for:
- Coordinating infrastructure delivery with development timing
- Managing cash flow and capital works programs
- Providing developers with certainty about service availability
The schedule reflects careful analysis of demand triggers, funding availability, and construction priorities.
Funding and Investment Strategies
Developer Contributions and Infrastructure Charges
Priority Infrastructure Plans establish the basis for infrastructure charges levied on new development . These charges ensure that development contributes fairly toward the shared trunk infrastructure costs it generates. Charges are calculated having regard to:
- The cost of trunk infrastructure networks
- Demand generated by different development types
- Legislative frameworks governing maximum charge levels
Importantly, infrastructure charge schedules, while informed by the PIP, are typically adopted through separate resolution processes . This separation allows charges to be adjusted without amending the entire infrastructure plan.
Catalyst Funding and Public-Private Partnerships
Forward-thinking infrastructure planning recognises that government funding alone cannot meet all needs. Programs such as catalyst infrastructure funds provide state funding that accelerates critical infrastructure, unlocking private investment and development . These funds leverage joint investment with developers and agencies, enabling the delivery of housing lots while creating jobs.
Financial Sustainability Practices
Responsible infrastructure planning requires robust financial management :
- Cash flow management: Tracking expenditure and contributions over the life of each development area
- Regular financial reviews: Five-year financial model reviews that navigate cost escalations, inflation, and shifting market conditions
- Development charges and offset plans: Real-world testing ensuring charges remain market-appropriate
Innovative Financing Mechanisms
The concept of a Priority List for major infrastructure projects offers an innovative approach to financing . Under this model, Congress would vote on a package of nationally important projects that receive special treatment, including:
- Access to Build America Bonds providing cheaper financing through federal cash payments rather than tax exemptions
- Exemption from certain regulations to minimize cost and delays
- Expert federal planning support
This approach leverages the popularity of transformational projects to enable reforms that would otherwise be politically challenging .
Global Perspectives on Infrastructure Prioritization
International Case Studies
Infrastructure prioritization is a global challenge, and different nations have developed innovative approaches :
Australia’s Eyre Peninsula Plan focuses on sequenced adaptation pathways, building economic resilience, and avoiding cross-sectoral maladaptation through integrated regional transport infrastructure planning.
Hong Kong’s Sponge City Program envisions water management systems functioning like porous structures to absorb, store, and purify rainwater while building flood resilience and improving public spaces.
Copenhagen’s Cloudburst Plan emerged after extreme storm events, prioritizing stormwater drainage to the sea, storage solutions, and blue-green infrastructure that moves flood risk management into multifunctional urban spaces.
Enabling Better Infrastructure Principles
The Institution of Civil Engineers’ Enabling Better Infrastructure (EBI) programme has identified key principles for successful infrastructure planning :
- Creating a clear vision: Establishing long-term direction that survives political changes, exemplified by Northern Ireland’s 20-year Regional Transportation Strategy that has guided development despite political transitions
- Scoping ahead: Considering financial, technical, and delivery needs upfront through mechanisms like New Zealand’s national project pipeline, which tracks projects from early stages to determine deliverability
- Using affordability to prioritise: Benchmarking approaches that set spending targets and compare per-capita investments across sectors to reflect different needs
- Establishing relationships: Building connections between all stakeholders—politicians, engineers, and the public—to ensure projects stand the test of time
The U.S. Prioritization Process Pilot Program
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act established the Prioritization Process Pilot Program (PPPP) to support data-driven planning approaches . Key features include:
- Grants up to $2 million for metropolitan planning organizations and states
- 100% federal share of total project costs
- Requirements for public input, transparent project scoring, and clear explanations for selection decisions
- Evaluation of projects based on contribution to priority objectives, cost-effectiveness, and public support
This program represents federal recognition that better prioritization processes lead to better infrastructure outcomes.
Challenges and Considerations
Implementation Capacity
The most significant challenge facing Priority Infrastructure Plans is execution. A plan, no matter how well-crafted, does not build roads, power grids, or water pipelines without effective delivery mechanisms. Jurisdictions must maintain the technical expertise and project management capacity to translate plans into reality.
Funding Uncertainty
Securing consistent funding over multi-year timeframes remains challenging. Economic fluctuations impact government budgets, development timing varies with market conditions, and competing priorities can divert resources. Regular financial model reviews help navigate these uncertainties .
Political and Regulatory Complexity
Infrastructure planning operates within complex regulatory environments involving multiple levels of government. State-controlled roads require coordination with transport departments . Environmental regulations add compliance requirements. Political cycles may disrupt long-term plans. Successful implementation requires navigating these complexities through sustained relationships and transparent processes .
Climate Resilience
Increasingly, Priority Infrastructure Plans must address climate change impacts. Extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and changing rainfall patterns affect infrastructure performance and longevity. Incorporating climate resilience requires :
- Risk assessment for vulnerable infrastructure
- Adaptation strategies that build long-term resilience
- Integration with broader climate action planning
Community Engagement
Public support is essential for successful infrastructure delivery. Transparent processes that provide opportunities for public input and clear explanations for decisions build trust and reduce opposition . Communicating infrastructure benefits in people-focused terms helps secure political and community buy-in.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a Priority Infrastructure Plan?
A Priority Infrastructure Plan (PIP) is a statutory document that identifies a local government’s plans for trunk infrastructure needed to service urban development in a coordinated, efficient, and financially sustainable manner .
2. What is the difference between a PIP and an LGIP?
A Local Government Infrastructure Plan (LGIP) serves the same purpose as a Priority Infrastructure Plan but contains additional levels of transparency and accountability. In many jurisdictions, LGIPs have replaced PIPs under state government reforms .
3. What is a Priority Infrastructure Area?
The Priority Infrastructure Area (PIA) is the preferred urban area for a local government over a 10 to 15-year horizon. It identifies land where adequate infrastructure exists or can be efficiently provided to accommodate forecast growth .
4. What is trunk infrastructure?
Trunk infrastructure is “higher order” network infrastructure shared between developments, including roads, water supply systems, sewerage networks, stormwater management, and public parks .
5. What happens if I develop outside the Priority Infrastructure Area?
Development outside the PIA may be required to provide its own trunk infrastructure where needed. Areas outside the PIA are not intended to be serviced by government infrastructure networks during the planning period .
6. How are infrastructure charges determined?
Infrastructure charges are calculated having regard to the cost of trunk infrastructure networks and the demand generated by different development types. Maximum charges are typically set by state government regulations .
7. How often are Priority Infrastructure Plans updated?
Plans are typically reviewed and amended at regular intervals, often every five years, or when significant changes in growth assumptions occur .
8. What is the Prioritization Process Pilot Program?
The PPPP is a U.S. federal program established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that provides grants to support data-driven, transparent approaches to transportation project prioritization .
9. How does climate change affect infrastructure planning?
Modern Priority Infrastructure Plans increasingly incorporate climate resilience through risk assessment, adaptation strategies, and integration with broader climate action planning .
10. What role does community engagement play in infrastructure planning?
Public input is essential for developing priority objectives, assessing project support, and ensuring transparency. Federal programs require public comment opportunities and clear explanations for project selection decisions .
Conclusion: Building the Future Through Strategic Planning
The Priority Infrastructure Plan represents more than a bureaucratic exercise—it embodies a community’s commitment to intentional, sustainable growth. By identifying what infrastructure is needed, where it should be located, when it must be delivered, and why it matters, these plans translate abstract visions of the future into concrete roads, clean water, vibrant parks, and connected communities.