John MacDonald: Bipartisan infrastructure planning? Pfft

I love the Government’s thinking on infrastructure planning. 

It wants us to have a 30-year plan for big projects that politicians, generally, wouldn’t be able to muck around with. Which, of course, would give us all a lot of certainty. 

It would also give the people who invest their own money in infrastructure certainty, as well. 

So a great idea. Because we are seeing right now how hopeless we have become at long-term infrastructure planning, and the consequences seem to be coming at us left, right and centre. 

The inter-island ferries, electricity infrastructure, the state of our roads. The band-aid approach has got us in this mess. 

Not to mention all the political pipedreams and political interference. So, why wouldn’t you try and get a long-term plan that everyone pretty much signs up to? It’s a no-brainer.   

And, to try and make it happen, the Government is setting-up a new National Infrastructure Agency. 

Where I see it coming unstuck, though, is getting the politicians to agree on a 30-year plan. 

Even on the day it was announced, we had Labour complaining that they weren’t given enough warning or weren’t consulted enough before the Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop told the world about it yesterday. 

And the Green Party’s Infrastructure spokesperson Julie Anne Genter is saying a 30-year-plan is great - as long as it puts the environment front right and centre. 

So, chances are, we’ll have all the parties sitting in a room trying to agree and we’ll have National wanting more motorways, Labour wanting more trains and the Greens wanting more cycleways. 

This is where I see the Government’s idea coming unstuck. Which shouldn’t be the case because, in other countries, politicians have managed to do what Chris Bishop wants to do. 

Across the ditch in New South Wales, they set-up Infrastructure New South Wales 13 years ago. 

Back in 2011, the then-state government decided long-term infrastructure projects were too important to be left to the whims of the political cycle, and it seems to have served them well. 

Since being set-up, Infrastructure New South Wales has helped deliver projects such as the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, planning of WestConnex and traffic management around Sydney Airport and Port Botany.  

It’s also been involved heavily in the new metro system in Sydney which opened the other week - and people seem to be raving about it. 

And I suspect the plans by the government here to set-up a National Infrastructure Agency follows Chris Bishop’s recent trip to Australia with the Prime Minister, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Resources Minister Shane Jones. 

But I don’t think Chris Bishop is going to get what he wants.  

Because —even though it’s been done in other countries— I have zero faith that our politicians can agree on this. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Morning's Podcast with John McDonald
from News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
I love the government's thinking on infrastructure planning.

Speaker 3 (00:17):
Love it.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
It wants us to have a thirty year plan for
big projects that politicians generally wouldn't be able to muck
around with, wouldn't be able to poke their noses into,
which of course would give us all a lot of certainty.
It would also give the people, suppose more importantly, the
people who invest their own money in infrastructure a lot

(00:41):
of certainty as well. So yep, great idea. I'll go
for a brilliant idea. Brilliant because we're saying right now
how hopeless we have become at long term infrastructure planning.
When I think it's we are a shadow of what
we used to be in this area. And the consequences
seemed to be coming home to roost, left, right and center,

(01:03):
don't they every day? It seems that's something else more
infrastructure packing a sad got the inter island fairies, electricity, infrastructure,
state of the roads, the band aid approach that we've
been taking for decades now has got us in a mess.

(01:24):
Not to mention all the political pipe dreams and political
interference again, interroro fairies, that debarcle, light rail projects, cycle
waves over harbor bridges. It goes on, isn't it. So
why wouldn't you try and get a long term plan
that everyone pretty much signs up to. It's a no brainer.
And to try and make it happen, the government's going

(01:44):
to set up a new National Infrastructure Agency, possibly the
closest thing yet to the old Ministry of Works. Although
this new agency isn't going to have people out there
leaning on shovels. I'm seeing it more as the government's
Project management Office, although I was going to give some
big picture of advice on things as well. Where I
see it coming unstuck, though, I mean I love it that.

(02:06):
Where I see it coming unstuck is getting the politicians
to actually agree on a thirty year plan. Even on
the dat was announced, we had labor complaining that or
they weren't given enough warning, or they weren't consulted enough before.
The Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop told the world about it
yesterday and the Green Party's infrastructure spokesperson July and Gentish,

(02:28):
she's saying, yep, thirty year plan is great as long
as it puts the environment front and center. It's the chances, Ira,
what we'll have is we'll have all the parties sitting
in a room trying to agree on a thirty year
infrastructure plan, and we have National wanting more motorways, Labor
wanting more trains, in the Greens wanting more cycle waste.
Maybe I'm simplifying it, but that's that's what's going to happen,

(02:49):
which Barney Irvine, who's chief executive of the Northern Infrastructure Forum,
is well aware of. But he actually thinks, to you
and I, he thinks we've had enough of the politics
that keep getting in the way of infrastructure development in
the country or in this country. Here's a bit of
what he said to Mike about that a couple of
hours ago.

Speaker 3 (03:07):
These big political divisions over infrastructure. I don't think that's
reflective of the public mood. No. I think there's a
lot more consensus among the public about infrastructure, and the
vast majority of people just want to see the government
of the day get on and do stuffs, and so
if the politicians tune in to that public mood, I

(03:28):
think that that stands up in pretty good stead to
move ahead or to move in this direction.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
The question is, so, how confident A then politicians can
agree on and commit to a thirty year infrastructure plan,
because this is where I see the government's idea coming unstuck.
Shouldn't be the case though. Shouldn't be the case because
in other countries politicians have managed to do what Chris
Bishop wants to do across the ditch. In New South
Wales they set up Infrastructure in New South Wales thirteen

(03:58):
years ago, back in twenty eleven. That was when the
then state government decided that long term infrastructure projects were
too important to be left to the whims of the
political cycle. It seems to have served them pretty well
since being set up, Infrastructure New South Wales has helped
deliver projects such as the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Center,

(04:18):
sweaked on planning of traffic management around Sydney Airport and
Port Botany also also been heavily involved in the new
metro system in Sydney which I opened the other week,
in which people seem to be absolutely raving about, and
I suspect the plans by the government he had to
set up a National Infrastructure Agency comes on the back
of Chris Bishop's recent trip to Australia where he learned

(04:40):
all about infrastructure New South Wales. It was ever the
Prime Minister in Simmey and Brown and Shane Jones or
looking at infrastructure stuff. Nevertheless, despite my excitement at the
idea of a thirty year plan for infrastructure developments here
in New Zealand, I don't think Chris Bishop, Chris Bishop,
I don't think he's going to get what he wants
because even though it's being pulled off in other countries,

(05:02):
I have zero faith that our politicians can actually degree
on what infrastructure is needed and what infrastructure should be prioritized.

Speaker 1 (05:13):
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