The Victorian Government is encouraging industry to bring forth innovative ideas for new projects by announcing revised guidelines providing greater transparency and incentive to private sector parties on market-led proposals.

The Guideline includes a strengthened five-stage process for Market-led Proposals, ensuring only those proposals are pursued that deliver on Government priorities, provide benefits to the community, and offer value to Victorians.

The new Guideline provides clarity to industry about the types of projects that will interest the Government by identifying priority areas where private sector proposals are welcomed. New opportunities for innovative ideas to be submitted without the need for a full proposal have also been introduced.

While these ideas are developed at the private sector party’s cost, new provisions allow for payments, where appropriate, for proposals that contain genuine intellectual property. Under the Guideline, the newly formed Infrastructure Victoria will also be able to provide advice on proposals.

The Government currently has a number of proposals following these guidelines, including a new Victoria Police Centre (pictured above) and the development of the Western Distributor, with both proposals at stage three, while the CityLink-Tulla Widening is an example of a project that has been realised under the Guideline.

Industry association Consult Australia has welcomed the changes, which help remove some of the barriers to business approaching Government with fresh thinking on new projects.

According to Consult Australia CEO Megan Motto, consulting firms in the built environment design the solutions to many of the challenges currently facing governments in dealing with congestion, climate change, and the liveability and productivity of communities. The revised guidelines on market-led proposals will provide greater transparency and should help incentivise new ideas from the private sector to strengthen Victoria.

Noting the importance of protecting firms’ intellectual property in the assessment of ideas brought to the Government, Motto said the changed guidelines have helped opened the door to those businesses that consider their intellectual property as a competitive advantage.

She added that the new Guideline will help reduce the costs and risks of firms approaching Government and ensure only the best ideas are taken into consideration.