Shane Jones wants a stronger infrastructure entity.
Shane Jones wants a stronger infrastructure entity.
Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones wants a stronger entity to oversee development of major capital projects including prisons, schools, hospitals, roads, trams and other big New Zealand assets.
Speaking from Australia, where he has been looking at infrastructure, Jones said the Government would either strengthen the existing Treasury infrastructure unit, orcreate an entirely new state authority.
Jones said the existing unit "could be a new state agency or strengthened within the Treasury. At the moment, their ability to radiate influence is not at all flash. I would like to involve that board," he said, referring to his plans to draw on the Treasury infrastructure unit's expertise and personnel.
"I realise there are significant infrastructure projects at local government level and we need to sell the virtues of such an agency to local governments," he said.
Some feathers in the civil service might be ruffled by the concept, he said, but it was in the national interest.
This week, industry body Infrastructure NZ welcomed the Government's commitment to resolving congestion and other transport issues in Auckland and across the country.
"It is widely agreed that conventional funding and financing tools are inadequate to address both the backlog of investment and respond to strong growth," it said.
"Infrastructure New Zealand welcomes news that the Government is actively investigating alternative procurement options, including public private partnerships to enable major projects to proceed."
