Infrastructure

Our Values

Infrastructure should be delivered efficiently, affordably, and with long-term planning that respects taxpayers and property rights. Infrastructure is the backbone of a productive, growing economy. Whether it’s roads, water, energy, or digital connectivity, our approach is simple: remove the red tape, attract investment, and ensure that projects serve people, not politics. We support decentralised decision-making, user-pays where appropriate, and private sector involvement to ensure value and innovation.

Our Achievements

ACT has driven many of the Government’s actions to deliver affordable, world-class infrastructure. These include

• Ending Labour’s ideological infrastructure projects: ACT secured the cancellation of Let’s Get Wellington Moving, the Lake Onslow pumped hydro project, and other wasteful schemes, saving hundreds of millions of dollars and redirecting focus to high-value investment.

• Opening the door to overseas building products: ACT delivered reforms that allow thousands of high-quality international construction materials to be used in New Zealand, bringing down costs for homes and buildings.

• Cutting red tape through RMA repeal: ACT is leading the charge to scrap and replace the Resource Management Act with a property-rights-based system that enables faster, more predictable infrastructure development.

Our Next Goals

The coalition Government has not gone as far as ACT would like, but it’s gone further than it would have without ACT. We always have more ideas ready, and here are some we continue to advocate.

Pass a property-rights-based resource management regime

ACT will replace the failed RMA with a system that enables people to build without being bogged down in ideological and cultural compliance. Our vision is a rules-based framework where development can proceed quickly, provided it does not harm others’ property or the environment.

Enable private investment in major infrastructure

New Zealand does not have to fund all infrastructure through taxpayer borrowing. ACT supports Public Private Partnerships and partial privatisation models that allow major projects to be built faster and more efficiently, while sharing risk and cost with the private sector.

Restore core services in local government

ACT is pushing to refocus councils on delivering essential infrastructure like roads, water, and waste. We are removing ideological distractions and vanity projects, and promoting benchmarking so ratepayers can compare performance across councils.

Fast-track supermarket infrastructure

ACT’s proposal for a streamlined approvals process for supermarket builds would boost retail infrastructure and lower grocery prices.