Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop today welcomed the release of the National Infrastructure Plan and tabled it in Parliament.
“New Zealand’s future prosperity depends on high quality infrastructure. It is central to our quality of life and to the Government’s “Going for Growth” agenda,” Mr Bishop says.
“Delivering and maintaining better infrastructure is a key part of the Government’s plan to fix the basics and build the future New Zealanders both need and deserve.
“Creating a 30-year plan for New Zealand’s infrastructure was a key campaign commitment for the National Party in 2023, and I asked the independent New Zealand Infrastructure Commission to begin work on it shortly after we formed government.
“The resulting National Infrastructure Plan, released today, sets out a 30-year view of how New Zealand can improve the way it plans, funds, maintains and delivers infrastructure. The final Plan follows consultation on a draft released last year and identifies four themes for change and 10 priority actions for the decade ahead.”
“The Plan does not sugar coat things: New Zealand has real challenges ahead.
“We spend a lot on infrastructure – around 5.8% of GDP annually over the last 20 years, one of the highest in the OECD – yet we rank towards the bottom for efficiency, and fourth to last in the OECD for asset management. Many central government agencies do not properly understand what they own or have long-term investment plans. The assurance system for new projects and long-term investments is fragmented and inconsistent.
“The Government has spent a lot of time in the last two years making a start on fixing the basics of our system, but there is a lot more to do. The Investment Management System has been strengthened, long-term investment plans are beginning to be developed, and Ministers are demanding higher quality information from agencies. We have launched a comprehensive programme of work to improve asset management in the public sector.
“On top of this, we have established National Infrastructure Funding and Financing to connect private capital with public projects, clarified roles and responsibilities across the system, published Funding and Financing Principles, updated guidance material for PPPs, and improved the quality and transparency of the National Infrastructure Pipeline.
“It is encouraging that many of the Commission’s top 10 priorities for the decade ahead (page 14) reflect work already underway by the Government:
- Lifting hospital investment for an ageing population – Health New Zealand now has a long-term capital infrastructure plan, and this Government is providing record investment in both capital and maintenance spending for health.
- Completing catch-up on water renewals and restoring affordability – The Local Water Done Well reforms are well underway, including stronger economic oversight.
- Implementing time-of-use charging and fleetwide road user charges – Legislation enabling time of use pricing was passed last year, and the government is working with Auckland Council on scheme options. We have begun the transition to Electronic Road User Charges (E-RUC) across the transport fleet.
- Prioritising and sequencing major land transport projects – the government will soon publish a Major Transport Projects Pipeline.
- Managing assets on the downside and prioritising maintenance first – Phase 1 of the government’s Asset Management Work Programme has provided practical tools and guidance to agencies so that they can up their game in asset management. Phase 2 is about driving more fundamental changes to system settings.
- Identifying cost-effective flood resilience infrastructure – The Government has developed a National Adaptation Framework to help reduce and manage the growing risks we face. The Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) has invested nearly $200 million into 74 flood resilience projects across the country.
- Committing to a durable resource management framework – The government has introduced legislation to replace the Resource Management Act with a more enabling and stable system, with spatial planning and national standards at its heart.
- Upzoning around key transport corridors – the government’s housing and planning reforms are focused on enabling transport-oriented-development, particularly around the new City Rail Link stations.
- Taking a predictable approach to electrification – we are focused on creating stable policy settings to unlock investment in electricity generation and transmission.
“The Plan contains a series of recommendations for long-term system shifts, including legislative change to require long-term investment and asset management plans, a consolidated assurance function for Ministers, and better linkages between the Commission’s assessment of long-term needs and fiscal strategy.
“We will be studying these recommendations carefully and the Government will publish a response to the plan in June 2026.
“As part of our response to the National Infrastructure Plan I intend to engage with other political parties in Parliament. Infrastructure Commission officials will make briefings available to parties who wish to take a deeper dive into the detail behind the recommendations, and I will be writing to Parliament’s Business Committee seeking time for a special debate on the Plan.
“Infrastructure lasts for generations. Where we can build durable consensus, we should.
“Fixing the basics and building the future of New Zealand infrastructure is central to lifting living standards and driving our prosperity. The National Infrastructure Plan is a great contribution to this shared agenda for everyone in New Zealand. Now it is up to all of us to do the hard work required to turn ambition into delivery.”