Physical Trade Infrastructure - Australia

Australia is contributing to the detailed design, construction and supervision of the Cao Lanh Bridge in Vietnam as part of a major new road network in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. This will improve road access, reduce travel time, and remove bottlenecks caused by slow ferry operations. Australia is also providing support to help Cambodia, Laos, Burma and Vietnam become more integrated through improved cross-border management and transit procedures, including mutual recognition of transport licensing. Addressing policy and regulatory barriers to trade can help unlock the economic benefits of hard infrastructure projects, such as the Cao Lanh Bridge.

In 2011 and 2013, Cambodia suffered its worst floods in a decade. Damage to infrastructure and lost economic activity from these two flood events were estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The focus of the Cambodia Emergency Flood Rehabilitation Project is to restore rural communities’ access to markets, as well as critical services including schools and health centres. Australian grant contributions helped to de-risk US$130 million in loans from the ADB, and $US15.9 million in project costs met by the Cambodian Government. Project outcomes include: 53.2 km city protection dikes and provincial roads; 16 bridges; 600 km rural roads including drainage; and 32 irrigation schemes.

The Samoa Economic Infrastructure Program aims to stimulate sustainable economic activity in Samoa and provide improved access to services and markets by investing in economic infrastructure. The program comprises three components: investments in priority economic infrastructure projects; infrastructure structural and policy reforms performance linked aid program; and a technical assistance fund. The program uses established and experienced infrastructure partners such as the World Bank and the ADB to implement specific infrastructure investments.