Budget gives $1.6b to infrastructure over four years

Photo / Richard Robinson

A $1.6 billion infrastructure injection in this year's budget has put broadband, rail and schools among the top priorities.

The allocations include $1.1b of additional funding and $500 million of funding reallocated from other areas of the budget.

Finance Minister Bill English said tackling infrastructure bottlenecks was a priority, with targeted investments expected to help lift productivity.

"That is why we are continuing with our large infrastructure investment around the country, despite the high costs the Government faces to help rebuild Christchurch," he said.

The extra infrastructure spending over four years includes $942m in capital funding for broadband, to ensure Crown Fibre Holdings had access to the full $1.4b needed for the ultra-fast broadband initiative.

A further $28m would be spent on allowing schools to connect to high-speed fibre networks.

Rail was another big infrastructure winner, with $250m to go towards the KiwiRail turn-around plan, which aims to turn it into a self-sustaining freight business within 10 years. The Government had previously committed $750m towards the $4.6b plan.

Another $88.4m will go towards Wellington's commuter rail service over eight years.

The education sector will get another big slice of infrastructure funding, with $109m to go towards the likes of leaky building remediation work, public-private partnerships at two new Auckland schools, an early childhood education information system, and a school network upgrade programme.

Another big infrastructure change would see the Government pursuing a mixed-ownership model for four state-owned energy companies and a reduction in its shareholding in Air New Zealand, which could raise $5b-$7b.

- NZPA