Infrastructure System Reform

The Treasury has recently led work on the Government’s commitment to establish a National Infrastructure Agency.

National Infrastructure Funding and Financing Limited (NIFFCo) was established on 1 December 2024 by repurposing Crown Infrastructure Partners, an existing infrastructure entity with a focus on administering infrastructure funds. As NIFFCo, the entity is now 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 NIFFCo’s establishment, the following changes to the infrastructure system also came into effect on 1 December 2024:

• Clarification of 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.
• Clarification of 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.
• A formal mandate was created for Crown Infrastructure Delivery (formerly known as Rau Paenga) to act as the Crown’s delivery agency on behalf of agencies with low infrastructure delivery capability.

Cabinet agreed to make these changes in August 2024. You can read the Cabinet paper at: Cabinet Paper ECO-24-SUB-0168: Establishing a National Infrastructure Agency.