# Infrastructure NZ urges parties to keep projects out of coalition deals > Infrastructure NZ warns political parties against including infrastructure projects in coalition agreements to ensure long-term planning. - Title: Infrastructure NZ urges parties to keep projects out of… - Summary: Infrastructure NZ warns political parties against including infrastructure projects in coalition agreements to ensure long-term planning. Infrastructure NZ… - Keywords: infrastructure nz, infrastructure commission, national infrastructure funding, roads of national significance, local government reform, infrastructure pipeline, infrastructure projects, parliamentary funding, politics, news, Infrastructure, urges - Source: RNZ — https://rnz.co.nz/news/politics_election-2026/2030674/infrastructure-nz-election-plea-keep-individual-projects-out-of-coalition-deals - Author: RNZ | Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa - Published: 2026-10-19T16:26:47+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: infrastructure nz, infrastructure commission, national infrastructure funding, roads of national significance, local government reform, infrastructure pipeline, infrastructure projects, parliamentary funding, politics, news ## Infrastructure NZ warns parties Infrastructure NZ urges political parties not to include infrastructure projects in coalition agreements for long-term planning. > Infrastructure NZ is warning political parties not to put infrastructure projects into coalition agreements, and calling for a coherent vision for the future. ## Leggett's democratic approach Leggett wants the Infrastructure Commission to prioritize projects with parliamentary approval based on majority support from all parties. > He wants a more democratic approach where the Infrastructure Commission prioritises projects, and Parliament signs them off - dependent on each being able to get majority support from all parties in a kind of 'market of the Parliament'. ## Roads of National Significance Roads of National Significance projects are construction-ready with funding as the main constraint. > These are very advanced projects - essentially construction-ready with the main outstanding constraint being funding ## Infrastructure pipeline status New Zealand has a $290 billion infrastructure pipeline of 12,000 projects with most lacking confirmed funding. > We've got an infrastructure pipeline which is a wish list of $290b worth of 12,000 projects ... and most of those do not have confirmed funding. ## Productivity and infrastructure deficit New Zealand ranks 37th in OECD infrastructure value for money with a $1 trillion infrastructure deficit. > Since the 1950s the country had gone from 3rd to 37th in the world for productivity growth ; had a $1 trillion infrastructure deficit; and was 37th out of 38 OECD countries on infrastructure value for money with an estimated $11.8 billion lost from pausing or cancelling projects. ## Infrastructure Commission model Infrastructure projects should be prioritised via cost-benefit analyses with parliamentary approval. > The projects would be prioritised according to standardised cost-benefit analyses by government departments - with advice from the Infrastructure Commission, which would write the overall strategy - with Parliament setting the overall funding envelope. ## Public-Private Partnerships Public-Private Partnerships could be used for projects where clear outcomes are guaranteed. > PPPs are good for infrastructure projects ... where you know what you want out of them. ## Parliamentary oversight Parliament would decide on projects midway between elections with mechanisms to prevent changes during construction. > Parliament would make the final call on specific projects and priorities, but only at the midway point between elections, and with a mechanism to prevent changes to projects that have started construction. ## Local government reform Local governments own 36% of public assets but receive only 11% of tax revenue, requiring systemic change. > Local government own 36 percent of public assets and get about 11 percent of the [total share of tax] revenue, they're never going to be able to keep up ... people wait for central government to ride in with a solution and write the cheque. ## Future of Local Government A review of local government's fiscal and constitutional standing is needed to improve governance. > He said the Future of Local Government review commissioned under Labour and completed early in this government's term was 'seen to be too much of one side of politics'. ## Key takeaway Infrastructure NZ calls for infrastructure projects to be kept outside coalition deals to prevent political interference and ensure long-term funding.