How we developed the strategy: Public consultation
We heard from Victorians and spoke with stakeholders
Our recommendations are based on evidence and engagement
We analysed policy, literature and data, and commissioned advice on complex issues.
In 2023, more than 500 people helped shape the strategy objectives. Our call for submissions on strategy objectives encouraged individuals and organisations to share their ideas. They told us about the future they want and suggested how infrastructure can help achieve it. During workshops and discussions, we captured the perspectives of Victorian First Peoples, regional Victoria’s infrastructure challenges and opportunities, and the views of young Victorians. This is covered in our Strategy objectives engagement report.
This consultation informed our strategy objectives and helped us develop our recommendations. In our research program, we heard from 18,500 Victorians on important infrastructure issues. This included housing options, gas infrastructure, bus services and social infrastructure.
Over March and April 2025, we consulted on a draft version of this strategy. During this period, we held a series of engagement events including 3 webinars and 16 government and sector workshops. Through the Engage Victoria website we received over 300 submissions. Written submissions and workshops resulted in over 2,500 individual points of feedback on the draft strategy. Across our website and Engage Victoria there were more than 57,000 page views from 21,000 active users. Our Consultation summary report records what we heard during this consultation period and how it influenced this strategy.
Our recommendations address infrastructure priorities for the next 30 years
We researched major infrastructure challenges and opportunities
We assessed the current state of Victoria’s infrastructure and researched how infrastructure can help respond to existing and future challenges. We analysed trends in data, looked at Australian and international literature, found case studies and talked with stakeholders from industry. We spoke extensively to policymakers in government departments and agencies who shared their work on the challenges and opportunities for Victoria’s future infrastructure.
We reviewed Victoria’s infrastructure strategy 2021–2051 to see how the government is implementing our earlier recommendations, and which infrastructure issues remain (see Review of 2021 recommendations).
We researched specific issues, like:
- different urban growth patterns for Melbourne and major regional cities in Choosing Victoria’s future: 5 urban development scenarios
- actions to better prepare Victoria’s infrastructure for more frequent and extreme weather in Weathering the storm: adapting Victoria’s infrastructure to climate change
- how Victoria can make the most of its gas infrastructure in Towards 2050: gas infrastructure in a net zero emissions economy
- actions the Victorian Government can take to make emissions count as part of infrastructure decision-making in Opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of infrastructure
- how buses can give more people access to good public transport in Fast, frequent, fair: how buses can better connect Melbourne
- giving Victorians more access to open space in Getting more from school grounds: sharing places for play and exercise
- investing in education infrastructure that benefits all Victorians in Learning for life: preparing kindergarten, school and TAFE infrastructure for the future
- securing safe and sustainable Community-controlled care in Investing in Aboriginal health and wellbeing infrastructure
- how Victoria can better manage its $400 billion in assets in Getting better use from infrastructure
- improving care for the most vulnerable Victorians in Investing in community health infrastructure
- prioritising strategic cycling corridor investment in Victoria in Building safer cycling networks
- strategic economic evaluation to support major transport recommendations in the strategy in Transport projects strategic evaluation.
We commissioned advice to add to our evidence base
We commissioned technical advice on infrastructure issues. This supported our research and helped us develop recommendations. The advice included economic analysis, desktop reviews, spatial mapping, and transport and energy modelling. Technical reports are available on our website, including reports on:
- how digital technologies can improve infrastructure productivity in Digital technology and infrastructure productivity
- the risks to Victoria's energy transition and how Victoria can mitigate them in Victoria's energy transition risks and mitigation actions
- the impact of different scenarios on Victoria's energy transition in Energy transition analysis
- opportunities for First Peoples' self-determination in infrastructure projects in Self-determination in infrastructure
- opportunities to extend tram and train services in middle and outer suburbs in Strategic transport modelling of tram and train projects to inform Victoria’s infrastructure strategy 2025-2055
- the economic impacts of cycling corridors in Report on the economic assessment of cycling corridors
- the costs of investing in cycling corridors in Priority cycling corridor investment analysis
- the propensity to cycle in Bike use propensity index forecast
- the future need for primary and secondary schools in Victoria in Estimating primary and secondary school provision
- the future need for kindergartens in Victoria in Estimating kindergarten provision
- the cost of land in different regions and how this affects the value of school outdoor sports facilities in Cost of land for different regions in Victoria
- how Victorians use outdoor sports grounds in Consumer research – access to school sports grounds consumer research and Accessibility mapping for outdoor school grounds
- how Victorians access vocational education in Consumer research – access to TAFE and Accessibility mapping for TAFE
- how Victorians access Aboriginal health and wellbeing infrastructure in Accessibility mapping for Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations
- how Victorians access community health services in Consumer research – access to community health and Accessibility mapping for community health centres.
We developed recommendations
This strategy update examines what the Victorian Government can do to address Victoria’s most pressing infrastructure challenges, beyond the measures it has already announced. We recommend actions the government can start in the 5 years to 2030 that deliver long-term benefits. The recommendations help advance the strategy objectives and position Victoria for the next 30 years.
The strategy also includes some actions the Victorian Government can start in the longer term. We present them as future options for the government. We believe they will also help achieve the strategy objectives, but they do not require the government’s immediate attention or decision.
In selecting our recommendations, we studied the major problems and opportunities in each infrastructure sector. We analysed these alongside existing Victorian Government policy directions, and other policy and external changes. This helped us select the infrastructure priorities our recommendations should progress, and how the Victorian Government can act to make a difference.
We then assessed proposed recommendations against the strategy objectives, to make sure each of them helped achieve the goals most important to Victorians.
We also used Infrastructure Victoria’s strategic priorities to guide our recommendations.
- doing more with less
- navigating change and disruption
- improving social equity through access
- mitigating and adapting to our changing climate.
Each of our recommendations help achieve at least one of these strategic priorities.