Infrastructure New Zealand welcomes a national debate on the Government’s proposals for a four-year term and sees a future move to a longer Parliamentary term as positive for infrastructure development in New Zealand.

“A government, irrespective of its stripes, deserves time to implement the programme which got it elected in the first place,” says Chief Executive Nick Leggett. “Three years is just too short a time period to develop policy, implement legislation, embed the necessary system changes and begin to measure results.”

“Infrastructure is a long-term game and there is little doubt that shifting to a four-year term could help provide greater political certainty to the Crown’s infrastructure planning and delivery. It would also significantly aid in getting the planning, design, funding and agreement on infrastructure right.”

“For the infrastructure sector, a four-year term could have very positive consequences. It would provide greater confidence to the industry over government direction and can be another encouragement to private investment, which seeks political and policy stability when considering partnerships on large-scale infrastructure projects.”

“It is imperative that a four-year term is also applied to local government,” Leggett says. “We need alignment and consistency across the two levels of government, and the same issues that apply to central government with regards to the necessary time to carry out reforms also apply to local authorities.”

“Kiwis deserve to get an informed say on this issue at a referendum, which should be held alongside the 2026 General Election.”

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