The coalition government’s National Infrastructure Agency will start operating from 1 December, with the government repurposing the current Crown Infrastructure Partners.

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop confirmed plans for the agency in a speech at Infrastructure New Zealand’s conference, named “Building Nations”.

Bishop has also laid out the four parts of the 30-year National Infrastructure Plan, with the Infrastructure Commission to also deliver that in December.

The agency and plan were both election commitments from National.

The agency will have new responsibilities:

• Be a ‘shopfront’ for the Crown, receiving unsolicited proposals and supporting private investment in infrastructure
• Partner with agencies and – in some cases – local government on projects involving private finance
• Administer Central Government infrastructure funds

Bishop said the new agency would have about 60 staff come 2025, an increase of 50%, and an operating budget of $26 million, an increase of 44%.

Bishop said the National Infrastructure Plan would provide a 30-year roadmap, setting out priorities for investment, including better management of existing assets and ensuring value for money on new projects.

The plan will consist of four components:

• An Infrastructure Needs Assessment providing analysis of New Zealand’s long-term needs – and can be afforded – across the next 5-30 years
• A strengthened National Infrastructure Pipeline to provide a nationwide view of projects over the next ten years
• The Infrastructure Priorities Programme (IPP) which will involve a structured independent review of unfunded projects and initiatives
• Priority reforms to improve selection of, investment in, delivery and maintenance of infrastructure

Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau chief executive Dr Richard Templer is welcoming the announcement, saying Aotearoa needs strong infrastructure management, and it needs certainty around when the projects will be delivered.

“A National Infrastructure Agency that oversees public infrastructure delivery is a welcome development,” he said

New Zealand has seen engineers heading offshore due to a lack of publicly funded infrastructure projects.

Now, Templer is hopeful these initiatives will help projects get started soon and that there will be consistent management of the pipeline of infrastructure projects and workforce needed to ensure their delivery.

Templer said he hopes that the National Infrastructure Plan will receive bipartisan support and ensure public infrastructure initiatives have the commitment of successive governments.

“Any move to shore up the pipeline of projects and investment is positive, which is why I think these announcements are promising.”