Queen’s Birthday Honours: Mark Birrell’s determination to help build the future

Mark Birrell has worn many hats in a varied political and corporate career.

More recently, Mark Birrell has been a leading voice as chairman of Infrastructure Australia. Picture: Luke Bowden

Mark Birrell, awarded an AM for significant service to the infrastructure sector and business, has had a major role steering the logistics that underpin the nation’s economy.

When Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews embarked on a major privatisation drive in 2015, it was Birrell, as chairman of the Port of Melbourne Corporation, in the box seat for the sale.

State governments were on the hunt to construct new roads and highways, and Birrell had been agitating for the sector to attract new investors to drive the nation’s biggest infrastructure assets.

The Port of Melbourne eventually sold for a record $9.7bn, with the deal for one of the country’s biggest container ports paving the way for an influx of private investment from Australia’s superannuation funds in critical infrastructure. “There’s a welcome absence of tribal political debate in the world of infrastructure. It’s more of an attempt to get the systems right,” Birrell says.

“I was chairman of Port of Melbourne under the Andrews government when it was privatised.

“And it was an example of a Labor government wanting to recycle capital from one large asset into other assets. And it was a very good example of public policy working, regardless of the political party in power.”

Birrell has worn many hats in a varied career after serving as a Victorian government minister in the 1990s followed by a decade as head of infrastructure at legal firm MinterEllison. He worked as deputy chairman of Australia Post and was the founding board chairman of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, which represents both industry and governments.

“It is a real honour,” Birrell says of the AM award. “I’ve been involved all through the years in chambers of commerce and peak bodies and, in a way, this is a reflection of the enjoyment you get from being involved in them.”

More recently, Birrell has been a leading voice as chairman of Infrastructure Australia, which pushed for a big-project priority list to ensure developments could more easily move from a pipeline phase to construction and less of a reliance on government funding.

“We’ve seen an increase in both public and private funding of infrastructure, which is welcome, and a move to more consistent funding rather than annual or short-term announcements,” Birrell says.

“Road pricing is one area where there’s a lot of movement in ensuring we have proper markets for infrastructure. And there’s also larg­ely an alignment between major political parties on driving change.”

Birrell has served as a director with toll road giant Transurban since 2018, with the logistics player able to sanction several of its biggest projects, including Sydney’s WestConnex with the backing of money from Australian superannuation players.

“The superannuation sector is perfectly suited for the long run and it will keep on providing capital for greater infrastructure investments both here and overseas,” he says. “We’ve seen how that is good for members of funds with reliable and strong returns and it is also beneficial for users of infrastructure assets.”