In western infrastructure development projects, massive cost and...

In western infrastructure development projects, massive cost and time overruns seem to be a norm now. Major projects get cancelled after even billions are squandered, like we see with recent eco-inspired rail projects in California and the UK.

So we've developed a very distorted idea of how long it takes to achieve something (if we achieve anything at all).

Yet, once upon a time. the UK conceived, constructed and installed the revolutionary Mulberry harbour within a period of six months, and under wartime conditions. Towed over to Normandy and installed under German fire, it then successfully served as the world's busiest port.

It was essential. The drama queens, bone-idle cowards, rent seekers, and self-important, do-nothing bureaucrats just had to stay out of the way.

And so the job got done.

You could also point to Sweden's "A Million Homes" infrastructure project of the 1960s (significant for nation of 8 million people). A genuine effort to resolve a major housing squeeze.

The Chinese still take pride in getting huge things done fast. OK, sometimes a bit too much - people slowing things down might even end up in "re-education" camps.

But if they urgently wanted a gas power station in Zimbabwe, I'd wager the Chinese would have it operational sooner than it would take the first "community, government and stakeholder representative co-ordination committee" on an Australian project to fully express their "moral outrage" at whatever, put down their coffee cups, and even get to the notion of getting the job done.

Once I led a project where we had a 3 month window to construct an access tunnel under a track. This access was key to project viability.

We had 9 months to prepare for site works. I came up with several alternative construct strategies and works programmes. Every one shot down by the very people appointed to "facilitate" the job.

Even when the programme was comfortable (using cut and cover, with precast tunnel sections craned into place), the "facilitators" claimed "unforeseens" "might" cause major delays leaving the works incomplete at the end of the 3 month window.....

A "Cannot Do" attitude.

A gas to power plant will take about as long to commission as the people in charge want it to take....