Proposed changes to the Public Works Act, an essential tool for acquiring land for public infrastructure projects, go further than expected, which Infrastructure New Zealand says demonstrates the Government is listening Land Information Minister Chris Penk has announced what he describes as the most significant reform to the Public Works Act in nearly 50 years to help unleash an infrastructure boom. Continue →

More than 100 recommendations have been made to strengthen New Zealand’s democracy and the effectiveness of parliament, some of which have already been ruled out the current government – one that is still on the table is a four-year electoral cycle When New Zealand moved to the MMP system in 1993, setting the number of seats in parliament to 120, its population was just over 3.5 million. Continue →

The Infrastructure New Zealand Funding and Financing working group sees a real opportunity with the new Government to address our $210 billion infrastructure deficit, Policy Director Michelle McCormick writes The group has been working with the INZ team to develop a Briefing for the Incoming Minister (BIM) which focuses on the successful delivery of infrastructure, and quick wins to support this that can be taken by the Government in its first 100 days in office. Continue →

The new Government has a unique chance to end the instability in New Zealand’s infrastructure pipeline and save money by committing to a longer-term plan to build what the country needs to grow and prosper, Infrastructure New Zealand Policy Advisor Martina Moroney says For New Zealand to reach its potential, prioritising a more certain infrastructure pipeline is an immediate action that the Government can undertake to increase productivity and allow us to build more, for less. Continue →

Infrastructure New Zealand’s hope is that the incoming Government – no matter its stripes – takes these priorities seriously as the infrastructure sector’s call to action The incoming Government must accelerate infrastructure investment and set a bold vision for the country. Continue →

In its third tranche of policy positions, Infrastructure New Zealand puts forward ideas on how to do better at building resilient and sustainable infrastructure, leverage digital technologies to build/maintain and use infrastructure assets, and create certainty for the sector so it is able to prepare more effectively to deliver the infrastructure the country needs Infrastructure New Zealand has released its next tranche of policy position statements. Continue →

In the last election, more than 200,000 New Zealanders’ votes did not count toward the final result – an independent review is expected to call for changes which will give more people a voice in parliament The discussion and debate of different views are a healthy part of democracy, so when some views are not represented in parliament, this can give rise to unrest and division. Continue →

Less than 80 days away until the general election, political parties are starting to make their policy announcements, but Civil Contractors New Zealand Chief Executive Alan Pollard questions how much of what is promised actually turns into committed and funded projects I sometimes wonder if civil infrastructure construction has been replaced by ‘the idea’ of civil infrastructure construction. Continue →