InfraRead – Te Kawepúrongo Waihanga

By Claire Edmondson, Chief Executive Officer

In this Building Nations special edition, I need to start by thanking our sponsors, speakers and attendees for such a successful event. We’ve been thrilled to hear attendees found the sessions insightful, informative, though-provoking and rewarding.

By Quintin Blackburn, Senior Principal – Project Delivery, Beca

Recent, and not so recent, press on the performance of New Zealand’s infrastructure public private partnerships (PPPs), shows a clear need to reconsider delivery models for our country’s future infrastructure needs.

Day One: The Covid-19 Environment

ANZ New Zealand Chief Executive Antonia Watson, representing our premier sponsor, helped set the scene, highlighting ANZ’s work in the development of innovative funding solutions to meet renewable energy generation needs and work in the housing space.

Day Two: Morning session – Local Government in Focus

Local Government New Zealand Chief Executive Susan Freeman-Greene spoke to the value of local government, iwi and central government partnerships in addressing the range of ‘wicked problems’ in the infrastructure sector and elsewhere.

Day Three: Morning Session – Housing and Energy

Minister of Housing Hon Dr Megan Woods spoke to three of the most pressing crises we face – climate change, housing and the effects of Covid-19.

Day Four: Morning Session – Where to from here?

Climate Change Commissioner Professor Nicola Shadbolt reflected on the recently completed COP 26 summit in Glasgow. She noted it was encouraging that New Zealand had moved from a 39% to 50% targeted decrease in emissions on 2005 levels and highlighted the role of business, government, and individuals in contributing to that goal.

More transitional homes
Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Bill
Resource management system reform – in it for the long haul
Auckland Light Rail next steps
Growth forecast in infrastructure activity

by Claire Edmondson, General Manager, Infrastructure New Zealand.

It has been a while since New Zealanders got really excited about infrastructure, but looking at the programme for Building Nations 2021, there is plenty for the sector to be excited about.

by Alan Sutherland, Chief Executive, Water Industry Commission for Scotland.

The father of incentive-based (price cap) regulation, Professor Stephen Littlechild famously wrote that economic regulation was required “to hold the fort until competition arrived”.

by Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate.

Right now one fundamental issue is failing to ignite public debate in New Zealand. Infrastructure is the foundation of every single community – pipes, roads, power and more.