The Facts

World class infrastructure is central to our standard of living. The supply of water, energy, transportation, communications and social infrastructure underpin the quality of our health, education, agriculture, trade and commerce, personal safety and security, culture and entertainment.

Despite recent increases in infrastructure spending, New Zealand is lagging behind other OECD nations in redressing its infrastructure backlog. The latest IMD and World Economic Forum Global Competitive reports consistently show infrastructure constraints as major impediments to New Zealand’s social, economic and environmental development.

Four key challenges need to be addressed to provide for the essential national and regional infrastructure development that is so needed across New Zealand:

 Strong leadership and effective governance across and within infrastructure sectors

 Provision of coordinated long-term and national infrastructure development strategies  

 Reform of complex regulatory and environmental approval processes to recognise the importance of strategic infrastructure investment, and 

 Appropriate use of public and private sector debt as a means to finance infrastructure investment opportunities