A Pathway to Infrastructure Resilience - Advisory Paper 2: Guidance for asset owners and operators in the short term

Infrastructure Australia and Infrastructure NSW undertook the Pathway to Infrastructure Resilience  research project based on a shared vision for a resilient future, where Australian communities can recover, transform and thrive in response to shocks and stresses, to realise
positive economic, social and environmental outcomes.

The research found that in an infrastructure context, achieving resilience requires a shift in focus  from the resilience of the asset itself, to the contribution of assets to the resilience of the overall  societal system – what we call infrastructure for resilience. This approach requires consideration not  only of how to strengthen the asset, network and sector, but also how to strengthen the place,  precinct, city, and region that the infrastructure operates within. It requires considering the role of  each asset within the broader network and/or system and a shift from individual to shared  responsibility.

The research showed that in general, asset owners and operators are seeking guidance for actions  they can take immediately towards infrastructure for resilience. This paper responds to that need and suggests practical and targeted guidance for asset owners and operators across 40 actions that  can be implemented in the short term. It includes guidance applicable to all infrastructure sectors, as well as sector specific guidance for the energy, housing, telecommunications, transport, waste and water sectors.

It identifies a series short-term actions for asset owners and operators as the first steps towards this change. 

This paper is the second of two technical papers produced by the Pathway to Infrastructure  Resilience joint-research project. Advisory Paper 1: Opportunities for systemic change outlines in further detail the analysis and context for the guidance in this paper.