Building a better future: Calling for a coordinated approach to infrastructure

Monday, 18 September 2023

Nick Leggett is the chief executive of Infrastructure New Zealand

OPINION: The upcoming election brings with it a promise of progress and development as political parties seek to sell their vision to voters.

I am encouraged that on all sides there seems to be a genuine commitment to moving our nation forward and addressing the critical infrastructure issues we face. Big promises are being made in the delivery of clean water, affordable housing, climate resilience and improved transportation. However, in the past the delivery of these promises has fallen short of expectations, marred by delays, ideological opposition, budget overruns, or silent abandonment.

Infrastructure New Zealand stands as a staunch advocate for the enhancement of our nation's infrastructure. We recognise infrastructure as the cornerstone for achieving economic and social progress. Recent polling we had conducted by Curia has revealed that New Zealanders feel the same way, with 70% of Kiwis believing that currently New Zealand does not invest enough in infrastructure.

Official estimates are that our national infrastructure deficit is north of $200 billion. Without even considering new infrastructure, our maintenance and renewal efforts for existing assets have been inadequate, particularly in areas like roading and water. The neglect of such crucial infrastructure is felt daily by New Zealanders, leading to deteriorating road conditions and unreliable water systems. These impact our environment, compromise our health and the viability of our communities, and slow down the economy.

New Zealand is at a fork in the road. Now is the time our nation must step up and take bold action to build more and better infrastructure that supports our population’s aspirations. We must be willing to take calculated risks, diversify our funding sources beyond the government, empower local communities and regions to spearhead projects, and align housing needs with robust transportation and environmentally friendly water systems. Furthermore, we must prepare and maintain our infrastructure to withstand extreme weather events and contribute to reducing our carbon footprint. If we don’t do these things, we will not only fall behind our international competitors but can expect a general loss of living standards for New Zealanders.

You might ask then, why involve politicians at all? The answer lies in their role as both the problem and the solution.

Unfortunately, over the last 10-15 years our infrastructure agenda has been reduced to an ideological tug-of-war between competing political parties, with National and ACT advocating for solutions that rely on more roads, while Labour and the Greens push for more trains and bike lanes. What we need is a balanced approach that incorporates elements of both visions. More importantly, we need a system and a structure to deliver outcomes year by year, project by project.

Infrastructure New Zealand’s vision for New Zealand is to be world-class, where Kiwis can afford warm homes, access quality education and healthcare, and contribute to their communities as productive and law-abiding citizens. This vision hinges on well-maintained public facilities such as schools and hospitals, efficient roads and reliable public transportation systems. Politicians play a pivotal role in delivering these things because they create the right environment for planning, consenting, funding and building such essential infrastructure.

While flashy project announcements garner plenty of attention, we must remain sceptical of multi-billion dollar promises that don’t materialise until decades into the future. To put it kindly, our recent history of large-scale infrastructure delivery is chaotic. We can’t even guarantee funding for Auckland Light Rail or Let’s Get Wellington Moving, let alone a second Auckland harbour crossing. Priorities shift erratically, public funds are limited and in this volatile infrastructure environment sustaining a skilled labour force to actually deliver projects, proves challenging.

The good news is that the political party that can establish an environment conducive to long-term planning, that welcomes new funding partners, such as superannuation funds and iwi, and commits to agreed-upon delivery methods will be the one to crack this complex issue. However, long-term success hinges on all parties collectively signing up to a coordinated approach. Political divisions must be set aside for the greater good.

Politicians, though responsible for funding decisions, must first establish a new way of doing things where all parts of the system work seamlessly together, regardless of the ideological drivers of the ruling parties. It must then be infused through our political, public and private sectors. This coordinated approach is the key to overcoming our infrastructure challenges and should be demanded as a minimum standard by voters.

Infrastructure New Zealand is proud to host The Great New Zealand Infrastructure debate, alongside BNZ and as part of Stuff’s election debate series. Infrastructure issues demand the attention of all parties seeking to form the next government. So, let’s hear what their plans are to build a stronger and more resilient New Zealand, where modern, well-functioning infrastructure paves the way for our country’s future success.

The Great New Zealand Infrastructure Debate featuring spokespeople from Labour, National, ACT, The Green Party and New Zealand First will be moderated by Tova O’Brien and livestreamed on Stuff from 1pm Tuesday, September 19.