“The Minister today
announced that a new entity would be created to provide expert advice, planning
and strategy, support the delivery of major infrastructure projects across the
country and act as the golden thread between the various pieces of work this
Government is undertaking.
“The Minister indicated
the new entity will become a one-stop shop for investors, linking people to
procuring entities and informing them about our regulatory and market settings.
“This is a major step
forward for the Government and a wider sector challenged by long term pipeline
uncertainty and procurement capability.
“The i-body will
consolidate infrastructure expertise, creating a home for high calibre
officials who can specialise in the procurement of highly complex public works.
“We are particularly
pleased that the Minister confirmed that the i-body will have independence and
strategic capability, meaning it will not only assist in the delivery of
infrastructure, but provide advice to the Government on key sector issues and
help develop a whole-of-government project pipeline.
“A long term sightline
of what investments the Government intends to make, noting there will always be
changes in priorities and needs, is critical for the sector to invest in skills
and equipment.
“At the Building Nations
Symposium this morning, we heard from experts from the UK and Australia, two
countries which have recently adopted and rapidly expanded the i-body approach.
“The model has been
very successful in these two countries at reducing waste, improving long term
decision making and supporting a much healthier and more competitive industry.
“We expect that over
the medium term, the i-body will lead a sustained improvement in the skills and
capacity of infrastructure professionals within not only Government, but the
private sector too, as suppliers benefit from clearer direction, greater
consistency and better risk allocation.
“This is a real
opportunity to use the Government’s scale to effect a true industry-wide
transformation of the way we plan, fund, finance, deliver and operate critical
services,” Selwood says.
ENDS
For further information and comment contact
Stephen Selwood on 021 791 209