Infrastructure is the backbone of a healthy economy; reliable infrastructure enables trade and delivers the utilities essential to business. It also provides the social assets essential for community wellbeing, such as schools, hospitals, and civic amenities. As of September 2021, New Zealand's resident population is over five million, with half a million people added to the population since 2013. Unfortunately, our infrastructure and service provision has not kept pace with growth, so that New Zealand’s infrastructure deficit is now estimated to be NZ$75b.

As of Budget 2021, the government has set aside $57.3b of Crown spending to address New Zealand’s deficit over the next five years, with a further $2.6b allocated for 150 shovel-ready projects.

We have also noticed the sense of urgency around climate change, particularly the bold decisions needed to decarbonise the economy and meet our international obligations.

There is no shortage of analysis and policy direction, both for the infrastructure gap and the decarbonisation challenge. However the pathway to delivering the infrastructure we need and achieving our climate goals is in a state of change and is frequently harder to navigate than it should be.

The challenge is clear and time is short.

So what do you need to know today to make decisions that commit capital and resources for the future? Whatever piece of the infrastructure and decarbonisation puzzle your business or organisation represents, we hope to offer insight across a range of sectors.

In this publication we discuss the challenges of the existing regulatory framework, Three Waters reform, taxation and decarbonisation, the need for innovation in green and sustainable funding options, trends in construction contracts to address carbon requirements, the changing climate disclosure regime, and how to adapt if your assets are located on the coast as sea levels rise.

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