Labor to seek Infrastructure Aust changes

Labor has accused the government of holding a "bizarre" bias against public transport and wants to ensure it can't ignore urban rail projects.

But Labor won't oppose the coalition's plan to appoint a new board for Infrastructure Australia, a move it previously criticised as an attack on the agency's independence.

Opposition transport spokesman Anthony Albanese says the opposition will seek amendments to legislation that is believes waters down the powers of the independent body it set up in 2008 to assess major infrastructure projects such as roads and railways.

The Infrastructure Australia Amendment Bill 2013 abolishes the agency's council and the position of infrastructure co-ordinator, in favour of a board and a CEO.

Mr Albanese has previously accused the government of attacking the agency's independence by opening itself a path to make a suite of political appointments.

But on Friday, he said Labor won't oppose the organisational restructure while accusing the coalition of holding a "bizarre prejudice" against public transport.

Instead, the opposition will use its powers in the upper house on Thursday to seek changes to the bill.

The amendments will ensure the government cannot ignore certain infrastructure projects such as urban rail, and make the cost-benefit analysis of any new project publicly available.

Mr Albanese said this would prevent the coalition from "hijacking" the agency's research agenda for its own political ends.