Politicians fiddle over ports, roads, rail, power and gas

Across all sectors, various government planning processes need to become better integrated. Commonwealth and state funding and other responsibilities overlap in ways that can inhibit sound urban and broader infrastructure development.

COAG is the natural forum for these issues. They cross state boundaries or are problems common to all of our cities. In our federated system of multiple decision-makers, these issues will not be advanced unless they are dealt with and monitored at the highest level.

Governments should not wait to be confronted by a crisis before they act on issues that otherwise limit Australia's growth. And they should not be too distracted by the fallout from the determinations of regulators that affect the profits of specific companies.

The wider Australian community has a key stake in this debate. While its voice may not be as strident on any particular issue, it should be what governments respond to.