Good progress made on infrastructure delivery

National Infrastructure Advisory Board Chair John Rae has welcomed the good progress being made in the delivery of infrastructure, but says there is still a lot more to do.

“One year on from the launch of the Thirty year New Zealand Infrastructure Plan 2015, the sector has made good progress in delivering a more resilient and coordinated infrastructure network,” says John Rae.

Mr Rae made these comments on the launch of the National State of Infrastructure Report 2016. The report is a joint publication between the National Infrastructure Advisory Board and the Treasury’s National Infrastructure Unit, and provides an update on the actions listed in the Thirty year New Zealand Infrastructure Plan in August 2015 (the 2015 Infrastructure Plan).

“The Board recognises that there is still considerably more to do, particularly in Auckland. Auckland is critical to the national economy and it is essential that Auckland’s growth and infrastructure is managed effectively to realise the opportunities of this growth.”

“The Board is looking for ways of better using existing infrastructure, for example via pricing, rather than simply building new infrastructure. Other priorities for the Board include understanding how spatial and regional integrated planning could be used better, and also improving access to procurement capability across both central and local government”, says Mr Rae.

Mr Rae said that since the launch of the 2015 Infrastructure Plan, and with broad support for it across the sector, the Board’s focus is now firmly on its implementation. Whilst in the past the Board has been relatively passive in monitoring progress against the 2015 Infrastructure Plan, the Board has recently resolved to move to a more active oversight role and will be looking at how the sector and government agencies are operating relative to the 2015 Infrastructure Plan.

“The Board’s aim is to advance the infrastructure debate and more actively engage with stakeholders to understand the real-world challenges and opportunities facing the sector. This will help ensure a step-change in how we plan, procure and deliver infrastructure across New Zealand”, says Mr Rae.

The 2015 Infrastructure Plan sets out a long-term vision for the delivery of resilient and coordinated infrastructure. The vision will be delivered through better understanding the services needed for the future; improved information about, and management of, our existing assets; and ensuring the right regulations and incentives are in place to make better investment decisions in the future.  

Further information#

The National State of Infrastructure Report 2016 was released on 19 October 2016. It is available at the National Infrastructure Unit website: www.infrastructure.govt.nz.

The National Infrastructure Advisory Board comprises a small group of suitably experienced and connected people, largely drawn from outside of central government. The Board provides independent expert advice to the National Infrastructure Unit and to the Minister of Finance. More information on the Board: www.infrastructure.govt.nz/advisoryboard.