New Zealand unveils a $6b plan to build weather-resilient infrastructure

Auckland, cyclone gabrielle, National Resilience Plan, new zealand,

May 22, 2023

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New Zealand Government has announced a $6 billion National Resilience Plan to focus on building back better from recent Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle.

The Government is setting aside $6 billion to build back better with greater resilience from the recent Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle and protect New Zealanders from increasingly severe and unpredictable weather events.

National Resilience Plan

“The North Island weather events have added a level of urgency to our infrastructure investment planning and highlighted the importance of building strong and resilient infrastructure,” Grant Robertson said.

“It was unacceptable that basic lifeline services like telecommunications, power and transport links were knocked out for so long. It identified a severe basic infrastructure problem that this investment would help to fix.

“In addition to our $71 billion infrastructure plan over the next five years, Budget 2023 sets aside $6 billion for strategic investments as part of a National Resilience Plan.

“This investment will initially focus on building back better from the recent weather events. It will also include future-proofing road, rail, and local infrastructure wiped out by the extreme weather and telecommunications and electricity transmission infrastructure.

“Addressing vulnerabilities in our infrastructure systems to function during adverse conditions and quickly recover after an event is fundamental to the well-being of communities.

“I expect to continue to build on the plan over many years to reduce the severe infrastructure deficits that have held New Zealand back.

“As indicated at Budget 2022, the change to a debt ceiling as part of the Government’s fiscal strategy means we can use our balance sheet more effectively to support long-term productive investments, such as this programme,” Grant Robertson said.

A new crown infrastructure delivery agency – Rau Paenga

Budget 2023 provides funding to repurpose the Christchurch rebuild agency, formerly known as Ōtākaro Limited, to help Government organisations deliver infrastructure projects.

Now known as Rau Paenga, the Central Crown Infrastructure Delivery Agency will support organisations that don’t have day-to-day experience of delivering large, complex projects to get projects done efficiently and effectively. Rau Paenga will help deliver the new Archives Building in Wellington and the Plant Health & Environment Biosecurity facility in Auckland.

$100 million over five years will allow Rau Paenga to undertake its inaugural portfolio of projects without seeking funding from the organisations it supports.

“Rau Paenga will use the lessons learnt in driving forward major Christchurch rebuild projects post-quake to help deliver construction projects.

“We need to keep up the momentum on our vital infrastructure build while keeping a lid on spending, so Rau Paenga‘s experience in project delivery and robust processes will help us keep up with the good work we’re doing on our large programme of work,” Megan Woods said.

Infrastructure Action Plan

The Government has published the Infrastructure Action Plan today, which sets out in detail what it is doing and will do in response to Rautaki Hanganga o Aotearoa, the New Zealand Infrastructure Strategy.

“This plan builds on the Government Response to the Strategy by identifying actions across our wider work programme that will start to address the challenges and opportunities set out in the Strategy,” Megan Woods said.

“Being smarter about how we plan, deliver, and use infrastructure is critical if we are to meet the infrastructure deficit and deliver the infrastructure New Zealanders need now and into the future.”

The Infrastructure Action Plan outlines the following focus areas where the Government will continue to make improvements over the coming years:

• Ensuring that our infrastructure rebuild and new build is resilient in the face of climate change, natural disasters, and increasing extreme weather events.
• Strengthening infrastructure investment decision making and governance.
• Strengthening partnerships with, and opportunities for, Māori, local Government, and the private sector.
• Building the capacity and capability of the Government and of the infrastructure workforce to deliver and maintain infrastructure.

“The Infrastructure Action Plan confirms this Government’s ongoing commitment to addressing New Zealand’s infrastructure challenges. Most of the actions identified are already underway, with many more due to begin in 2023. More than half are expected to be complete in the next three years,” Megan Woods said.

Further information on He Whakakaupapa mō Te Hanganga o Aotearoa: The Infrastructure Action Plan 2023 can be found here. 

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