NZ's Infrastructure Investment Falling Well Behind Australia
Media release, 25 August 2005
Australia is making much better progress than New Zealand in redressing its infrastructure deficit, says NZCID Chief
Executive, Stephen Selwood. In Australia, major investments are being made in energy supply, railways, roads, health
facilities, water treatment plants, stadiums, schools, emergency services and prisons. This kind of investment is
helping to drive Australia's continued prosperity, growth in wages and improved living standards.
For example, by the end of 2008 the NSW and Victorian governments will have financed $A10 billion via tolls to build 170
kilometres of motorway in Sydney and Melbourne alone (see list of projects on the attached Table 1).
That's equivalent to the entire length of New Zealand's incomplete motorway network.
All of these major projects are being completed in less than 5 years. They are using tolls to fund the roads thereby
releasing public funds for investment in public transport and alternative transport modes. In New Zealand, smaller
projects take decades to complete and public transport continues to be under funded, despite ever increasing funds being
allocated.
It's like we've become inculcated with short-term piecemeal development of our national infrastructure. We try to eek
out every cent we can from a limited public purse, whilst losing $billions in lost opportunities.[1]
Ironically, the latest national state highway capital expenditure forecast actually projects a decrease in capital
spending from 2007 to 2010 as the following graph shows.
Source Transit NZ State Highway Forecast 2005/6 to 2014/15 Update at August 2005. What's needed in New Zealand is a
complete change of paradigm. It doesn't make sense to try to pay for major infrastructure development through taxes on a
pay as you go basis. We'd be much better to borrow the money needed to build the infrastructure sooner.
We need to look out 20 years and develop an infrastructure plan which specifies exactly what projects will be completed
by when, how they will be funded. We need parallel legislative change to streamline the Land Transport Management Act,
RMA and political decision making processes.
There must be a clear commitment by Government and its respective agencies to work collaboratively with industry and the
private sector to implement the programme to plan, with clear definition of risk sharing, responsibilities and
accountabilities to make sure that happens.
That's what the Australians are doing. New Zealand should do the same, Selwood says. See table of Australian urban
roading projects below. Contact: Stephen Selwood Chief Executive, NZCID 021-791-209 (mobile) Table 1: Sydney and
Melbourne Urban Motorway Projects 1988 to 2008
Roading Project Length km A$m Value Start (including environmental approval processes) Finish
M4 Sydney 12.5 246 1988 1992
M5 Sydney 21.0 380 1988 1992
Sydney Harbour Tunnel 3.0 685 1988 1992
M2 Sydney 20.0 644 1994 1997
Eastern Distributor Sydney 6.0 700 1997 1999[2]
Cross City Tunnel Sydney 2.1 680 2000 2005
Westlink M7 Sydney 40 1,500 2001 2006
Lane Cove Tunnel Sydney 3.6 1,100 2002 2007
Melbourne City Link 22.0 1,780 1996 2000
Melbourne Connect East 40.0 2,500 2005 2008
Total 170.2 10,215
[1] A recent study conducted in NZ by Australian consultants Allen Consulting Group in association with Infometrics in
NZ concluded that the economic benefit resulting from a representative sample of roading projects across the country
would result in a $1.5 billion ANNUAL increase in GDP.
Allen estimated that the return to Government would exceed the cost because the increased tax take from the resultant
economic growth would exceed the cost of projects within a relatively short time. [2] It took two years to construct the
link between the Sydney airport and downtown Sydney.
ENDS