6.  Public interest consideration

For Australian Government PPP projects, an agency's duty of care to the public and the impact of on the public must be considered, especially on those stakeholders identified as being directly affected by the project. An initial review of stakeholders will have been undertaken during the scoping study.

This review will undergo further development in the interim business case with a focus on issues that may arise through project development and delivery. If appropriate, the agency should liaise with public interest groups and other relevant bodies and consider possible outcomes of a qualitative or quantitative nature that may possibly impact upon the value for money analysis.

The public consultation should consider the following points:

•  effective achievement of service requirements;

•  accountability and transparency;

•  affected stakeholders;

•  consumer rights;

•  public access and equity;

•  security; and

•  privacy.

It may be appropriate for public consultation to continue throughout the life of the project (or at least during the construction and early years of operation), especially if it is deemed to have a major impact on the community. There are many avenues for communicating with the public, e.g. newsletters, email, flyers and public consultation forums.