Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau Chief Executive Dr Richard Templer welcomed infrastructure minister Hon Chris Bishop’s announcement yesterday that a new infrastructure agency would be in place from 1 December.

“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.”

In addition, the Infrastructure Commission is developing a 30-year National Infrastructure Plan, which is due for release at the end of 2025.

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 also 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,” he said.