Infrastructure opportunity shortage for superannuation funds

A lack of funds is not the thing standing in the way of superannuation funds investing in infrastructure - rather, it is a lack of opportunities, according to Industry Funds Management chairman Garry Weaven.

Addressing the Conference of Major Superannuation Funds, Weaven said there was a willingness by Australian superannuation funds to invest in infrastructure, but few opportunities were being made available for them to do so.

He said the last major opportunity for superannuation fund investment in infrastructure had been the sale of a chunk of the Port of Brisbane.

"So shortage of funding is not the problem - shortage of deal flow is the problem," he said.

Earlier, Infrastructure Australia consultant Michael Eyers agreed that deal flows represented a challenge, but argued that it was within the power of superannuation funds to apply pressure to governments.

Both Weaven and Eyers pointed to the various ways in which superannuation funds could pursue infrastructure investments, including by way of public private partnerships and via the sale of existing assets to fund new assets.