8748 (2025). Hon Barbara Edmonds to the Minister for Infrastructure

8748 (2025). Hon Barbara Edmonds to the Minister for Infrastructure: What specific challenges, if any, have prevented the funding of certain projects listed in the National Infrastructure Pipeline, and how does the government plan to overcome these obstacles?

Hon Chris Bishop: The National Infrastructure Pipeline provides a central view of infrastructure project activity that is in planning and delivery across New Zealand. Insights from the Pipeline help coordinate, prioritise, schedule, and plan projects and investments. Information in the Pipeline is provided by central government, local government and private sector organisations involved in providing infrastructure services and reflects the current state of their infrastructure planning, including projects in early planning stages that are yet to be prioritised for funding. Including these yet-to-be-funded projects in the Pipeline provides important longer term planning information about projects that will enter future funding prioritisation processes. The Government is developing innovative approaches to support greater investment in infrastructure, including new value capture tools and partnering with the private sector through new funding and financing models. The new National Infrastructure Funding and Financing Limited (NIFFCo) will help to connect private investors to infrastructure projects, and will partner with agencies on delivery. Additionally, the Infrastructure Commission is developing a 30-year National Infrastructure Plan, which will help to build an enduring pipeline of priority projects. Working to ensure regulations appropriately balance urban growth with other goals, such as sustainability will also play an important role in delivering infrastructure. At the same time, Government needs to improve practices for maintaining existing assets, including through depreciation funding of repairs and maintenance of the Crown asset base.