Anthony Albanese has been named as the new Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, and has pledged to take the Government to task on how it will achieve the roads and infrastructure solutions it has promised.

One of the major platforms for the Coalition in the lead-up to this year’s election was a pledge to invest strongly in infrastructure. Mr Albanese says he will ensure the Federal Government does not waste time or money on grandiose projects, but rather tries to tackle the clear problems that already exist.

“The Coalition Government says urban congestion is “a big economic problem” but has provided no clear plan to fix the nation’s public transport infrastructure, or ensure adequate investment in our nation’s roads,” Mr Albanese said in a statement.

Australian Logistics Council Managing Director, Michael Kilgariff says; “Mr Albanese made a substantial contribution to the freight logistics sector during his six years in Government across a range of areas, including infrastructure investment reform and the introduction of seamless transport laws.”

“He also created a genuine partnership with industry in establishing Infrastructure Australia and creating Australia’s first national transport regulators.”

Mr Kilgariff says both sides must help in the push for efficiency.

“Every 1.5% increase in supply chain efficiency will deliver around $1.5 billion benefit to the national economy,” he said

It appears with an infrastructure-hungry Government and a Shadow Minister who knows what he is doing, the industry that generates an estimated 14.5% of Australia’s GDP and provides more than 1 million jobs across 165,000 companies, will be heading for a more productive, efficient and safe future.