Brett Shepherd: Craigs Investment Partners spokesperson recaps the first day of the Government's Infrastructure Investment Summit

Investors are keen to see a long term pipeline of work - before committing to spending their money here. 

More than a hundred companies, managing about six trillion in capital, are at the Government's Infrastructure Investment Summit in Auckland.

Brett Shepherd from Craigs Investment Partners says the Government's messages of support were well-received by the summit's attendees.

"The commitment of the Prime Minister and the respective ministers to grow the economy on a consistent basis through partnership and infrastructure - that message was just resounding." 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The government's been rolling out the welcome mat for local
and international investors today this investment summit, the Australian Infrastructure
Investor Plenary has committed already come out and said we
are bidding for at least five PPPs and we're going
to open an office here in the next eighteen months.
That came from Chris Bishop, who was on the show,
to staff to five. This Italian investor is keen to

(00:21):
put his hat in the ring for the Northern Expressway and.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
I think that we are looking at the first big PPP,
the Northland Corridor, the highway, and I think is happening
and it's real, and it's something that you know, I
worked with governments arounderworld and it's very rare to see
every time a deadline that has been met by the

(00:50):
government side.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Absolutely Now.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
Brett Shepard was there as well, Craig's Investment Partners representing
some big investors at the summit. He's with me now, high.

Speaker 3 (01:00):
Brett, get up, Ryan, how's it going.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
You're really good. Thanks for being with me. Run us
through your highlights real from today, Brett, what was it like?

Speaker 3 (01:09):
I think in the moment of plenary, you know, Italian investors.
Basically shows how while it's being received by international and
local investors. You probably can summarize it in a couple of ways. First,
I think the commitment of the Prime Minister and their
respective ministers to grow the economy on a consistent basis
through partnership and infrastructure. I mean that message was just

(01:33):
resounding and continued commitment every presentation to that. But then
it was followed up which people have found incredible is
the accessibility the Prime Minister and the ministers to discuss
both projects and the concept and the policy framework upon
what to do that because they're not used to that.
They used to having Prime Minister present and then disappear,

(01:56):
But the Prime Minister made himself available throughout the whole conference,
which was I think also the commitment of Eliso isn't
it was great to have many Fenua present, how they
were ready to partner up and be available on a
permanent capital basis and dependent commitment basis, which resounded really
well with just about every international investor. And then we

(02:19):
got to both specific projects because you've just identified at
the riding project to be at hostels being built, at
courts being built, and so that resonated well with investors
that this wasn't just a short term kind of rhetorics
as an actual process and there was work in progress
that they could commit to over the medium terms.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
We've had fast track changes here in New Zealand, we've
had overseas investment laws changed here as well. How much
do they play into the decisions that will be made
and not just the fact that they've been changed, but
the possibility that they might be changed back if we had,
you know, if we have a change in government.

Speaker 3 (03:00):
Sexuent question, because I mean understanding what labor says tomorrow
is going to be important and the opposition says tomorrow,
but the approach that's been communicated and that this is
a bipartisan approach. And so when you look at being
able to do projects of national significance, when as you said,

(03:21):
looking at the FDO rules in a way that encourages
international investments, people are looking for their consistency and policy
between government. You're exactly right. So right now people are
excited about the work in progress in front of them,
but will still be looking for the commitment to labor
and infrastructure specifically that they won't be looking to change

(03:46):
the rules and just what you've identified, brit What.

Speaker 1 (03:49):
Are the investors that you represent the other investors in
the room. What do they normally invest in? Are they?
Are they all kind of PPP people and what why
are PPPs attractive to them?

Speaker 2 (04:00):
No?

Speaker 3 (04:00):
Excellent. So these are global pension funds with over a
trillion dollars an investment. So they invest in a range
of investment from bonds, shares, real estate in what we
call alternative assets, and an alternative assets is public private partnerships.
They so they have the school base and the expertise

(04:22):
to invest in it. Why do they investor? They've learned
globally that a they can deliver products cheaper and the
they can operate them better than central government in terms
of maintenance of assets. They let the social service being
developed by the governments that does found they're very good
at that. So they become experts in this globally.

Speaker 1 (04:42):
Now you mentioned labor tomorrow, obviously there's going to be
a lot of focus on what they've got to say.
But the the other thing that's come out is the
pipeline of work. How you know how many projects ahead
do you do? You know do these investors need to
be looking before they'll commit to coming here.

Speaker 3 (05:01):
That's excellent. I guess we've still got transport coming tomorrow
and roading. But through the communication of house, education, the
courts and the corrections, they could see a five to
a year pipeline and in fact some examples were given
of a thirty year pipeline without being specific on projects.

(05:22):
To see how the government's thinking is working and so
trending is a classic. So when you hear how they
ever commitment to not a single project but a series
of projects over three to five to ten year period,
then you get engagement not just of money, but of
people on the ground to make sure happen.

Speaker 1 (05:41):
Really interesting, lovely to hear your perspective from actually being their.
Brit Shepherd from Craig's Investment Partners are representing some of
the big investors at the summit and giving us a
pretty good rundown of what it was like to be
there and what people who have come from all over
the world are thinking. Thanks Brett.

Speaker 2 (05:57):
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