Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese says "increasing productivity" would be his government's key strategy for reducing Australia's $866 billion gross debt.
Insourcing road maintenance contracts could cost taxpayers more and reduce road quality, industry has warned, while regional housing and competition for workers are concerns.
Analysis: High mining royalties may provide a windfall for the state government, but a portion of the cash will likely be needed to fund rising infrastructure project costs.
WA's renewable energy and hydrogen industries are in line to receive billions of dollars in federal funding over the next decade as part of a broader investment program for regional infrastructure.
The federal government will now spend $1 billion on the Bunbury Outer Ring Road, almost double initial projections; amid a $1 billion top-up to projects also including the Yanchep and Thornlie-Cockburn rail lines.
A dispute with Mondium, a $202 million loss on a Melbourne road project, and an overrun at Stockyard Hill Windfarm helped sink WBHO Infrastructure, with unsecured creditors set to get $11.7 million.
Creditors of WBHO Infrastructure will decide next week if they accept a bid by SRG Global to buy the collapsed company, with administrators warning the alternative is liquidation.
The state and federal governments have poured an extra $150 million into the $1.7 billion Perth City Deal to safeguard its projects as costs spike, with Multiplex to build the new ECU CBD campus.
Administrators have been given more time to sell Probuild and WBHO Infrastructure, while further details on creditors and the sale processes have emerged.
The extent of the cost increase on the Midland Station project has been revealed, with the project value having almost doubled from $165 million to $315 million.
Subiaco-based SRG Global has announced plans to take over West Perth-based rival WBHO Infrastructure as part of a $15.2 million deal following the company's collapse late last month.
Subcontractors caught in the collapse of WBHO are being advised to assess their insurance policies, while industry premiums could be set to rise amid ongoing insolvencies.
WBHO Infrastructure’s parent company had pledged continued financial support until at least October 2022, after the subsidiary made a $35 million loss in the 2021 financial year.