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Draft National Infrastructure Plan
How the National Infrastructure Plan helps | Te āwhina a te Mahere Haumitanga ā-Motu
1.3.1 Getting past the swings and roundabouts
The National Infrastructure Plan lays out an approach for investment that can meet New Zealand’s long-term needs. It considers community needs and expectations and what the infrastructure sector requires to set it up for success. It is the Commission’s independent advice to Government about the steps they can take to get us there. For instance, the Plan makes recommendations on how central government should maintain its infrastructure assets; how it selects, funds and delivers projects; and how it sets the ‘rules of the game’ for other infrastructure providers.
Infrastructure must serve different types of needs in different places. Because New Zealand can’t afford everything, we need to choose carefully and make trade-offs. Addressing one need or priority may make it difficult to address another, either today or in the future. A sustainable long-term investment approach needs to recognise current and future affordability constraints, while balancing investment between different needs and different places.
Areas of common ground exist. Agreement is widespread on the need to keep maintaining and renewing the infrastructure we already have. Building greater resilience into our infrastructure to address natural hazards and other risks to infrastructure appears uncontroversial, as is building back from shocks and natural disasters. Taken together, we should be able to agree on most things, while agreeing to be flexible to allow other priorities to change.
It is not essential to agree on everything. Political contestability about major new infrastructure projects often reflects disagreements between New Zealanders about what path we should take. It is not always straightforward to choose. However, progress is possible if we prioritise project deliverability, planning and building infrastructure projects in a timely and efficient way, and transparency, ensuring New Zealanders have good information on how public money is being spent and what outcomes are achieved from that spending.
1.3.2. What’s in the draft Plan
The draft Plan presents our initial advice on New Zealand’s future infrastructure needs and how to meet them. It reveals critical trade-offs facing New Zealand, identifies areas where we can get better at providing services, charts a course for how central government can improve, and shows some of the project options in front of us. It includes nine sections.
Overview of our advice
Outline of the draft National Infrastructure Plan
- We can find common ground | Ka kitea e tāua he ōritetanga
The current and future challenges facing all infrastructure sectors, which is the background for the National Infrastructure Plan. - From Strategy to Plan | Mai i te Rautaki ki te Mahere
How the National Infrastructure Plan builds on our previous advice in the New Zealand Infrastructure Strategy. - Establish sustainable investment: Our forward guidance | He whakarite i ngā haumitanga toitū: He aratohu anga whamua
The level and mix of investment that New Zealand is likely to need over the next 30 years to meet current and future demands in an affordable way. - Set up infrastructure for success: The operating environment | Me whakarite ngā tūāhanga kia angitu ngā mahi: Te taiao whakahaere
Recommendations for improving the operating environment for investment across central government, local government and commercial infrastructure. - Drive excellence from the core: Government investment | He kōkiri i te kairangitanga mai i roto: Te haumitanga kāwanatanga
Recommendations for improving central government’s capability to plan, fund and deliver investment and asset management. - Raise the bar on choices: The investment menu | He hiki i te kounga o ngā kōwhiringa: Te tahua haumitanga
An overview of upcoming projects that are in the planning stages, including our assessment of their readiness for investment (where available). - Embed good practices: The sectoral view | He tāmau i ngā tikanga mahi pai: te tirohanga rāngai
Sector-level analysis outlining current issues, the investment outlook, and key opportunities for system improvements based on Plan recommendations. - We want to hear from you | Kei te hiahia mātau ki te rongo kōrero i a koe
Overview of how people can provide feedback to the draft Plan and how it will help inform the final Plan.
1.3.3. Our process for developing the Plan
We are currently seeking feedback on the draft Plan. Our initial advice has been developed based on feedback and data collected from the infrastructure sector and information developed by the Commission. We are now seeking feedback on the draft Plan, which will help inform the final Plan (Figure 8).
We will deliver the final Plan to the Minister for Infrastructure in late 2025. Following delivery of the final National Infrastructure Plan, the Government is required to respond to the National Infrastructure Plan within 180 days, providing it to the House of Representatives.
Figure 8: Timeline for developing the National Infrastructure Plan
The National Infrastructure Plan is a snapshot. It includes the best information available at a point in time and should be treated as a starting point. As such, parts of the National Infrastructure Plan will be updated regularly. We expect these updates to include:
- National Infrastructure Pipeline: Quarterly updates to project future investment intentions and workforce requirements, as well as to understand which of these intentions have committed funding.
- Infrastructure Priorities Programme: Annual updates to improve transparency over upcoming nationally important infrastructure proposals and their readiness for investment.
- Infrastructure Needs Analysis: Periodic updates to provide ongoing ‘forward guidance’ on what level of investment is affordable and what mix of investment will best meet our long-term demands for infrastructure.
- Research and reviews: Additional insights on how to improve the infrastructure operating environment that are obtained from our ongoing programme of research, reviews, monitoring and engagement with the wider infrastructure sector.
- Te Ao Māori (the Māori worldview): Better incorporating Te Ao Māori perspectives into the final Plan and the wider work programme as we deepen relationships with Māori and iwi entities, to better understand the range of infrastructure needs, perspectives, priorities and aspirations of Māori.