On radio 3AW Neil Mitchell made the statement this morning that Victoria’s desalination plant at Wonthaggi “Isn’t really taxpayer-funded: It’s a PPP”.

If you mean getting the cost of capital works off the public balance sheet by PPPs means Victorian taxpayers don’t have to pay for it, you’re quite wrong, Neil. They often end up paying through the neck for many years more than they need!

Of all the ways for which we could pay for infrastructure–some of which I mention in submission 3 to the federal government’s current inquiry into the funding of transport connectivity–PPPs are the worst, and the public needs to be alerted to the fact.

[Hat-tip to Michael for heading change.]
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