Value capture or infrastructure charges?: A tale of two Brisbane transport infrastructure projects

Abstract

Value capture for government to gain a share in growth in land and property values due public infrastructure investments has been explored in numerous academic journals, government policy documents and public infrastructure business cases. The rationale supporting value capture as a public policy intervention is well documented yet the uptake of value capture by government to help fund public infrastructure is very limited. Betterment levies are designed to capture and share increased property values gained from public infrastructure. Additionally, infrastructure charges, impact fees or developer contributions designed for beneficiaries of urban development approvals to contribute to the cost of public infrastructure. This paper examines value capture and infrastructure charges from a transport and land use practitioner viewpoints in the Queensland context. The Brisbane Cross River Rail and Brisbane Metro projects provide valuable insights as case studies into how major transport projects are being delivered to help answer the value uplift and/or infrastructure charges question.