The Treasury is leading work on the Government’s commitment to establish a National Infrastructure Agency (NIA) by 2025.
In August 2024, Cabinet agreed to establish an NIA by repurposing Crown Infrastructure Partners (CIP), an existing infrastructure entity with a focus on administering infrastructure funds. The NIA will be established on 1 December 2024, and will be responsible for:
- Existing CIP functions and responsibilities including the administration of infrastructure funds.
- Partnering with agencies to deliver projects involving private finance.
- Connecting investors to relevant funds and ensuring the process for private investment in Crown projects is transparent, consistent and efficient.
Alongside establishing the NIA, Cabinet has also agreed to the following infrastructure system changes:
- Clarifying the role of the Infrastructure Commission (the Commission) as an independent advisor to Government on infrastructure matters, prioritising long-term infrastructure strategy and planning as its core focus.
- Clarifying the role of Treasury as the primary infrastructure policy advisor and provider of ministerial support to the Minister for Infrastructure. These functions are alongside its Investment Management System stewardship and project assurance role.
- Providing a formal mandate for Rau Paenga to act as the Crown’s delivery agency on behalf of agencies with low infrastructure delivery capability, effective from 1 December 2024.
These changes were agreed in a recent Cabinet paper, which you can read at: Cabinet Paper ECO-24-SUB-0168: Establishing a National Infrastructure Agency.
An Infrastructure Expert Advisory Panel was convened to advise on the establishment of the NIA. The panel’s report informed advice to Ministers and Cabinet on options for an NIA, eventually leading to decisions in August 2024. You can find out more about the Expert Advisory Panel at: Infrastructure Expert Advisory Panel: Report on Establishing a National Infrastructure Agency.
Work is underway on the transition, with Treasury working alongside CIP, the Commission, and Rau Paenga to ensure that this programme of work improves our infrastructure system.