A new report by Deloitte, Beyond the impacts of COVID-19: A brighter future through infrastructure investment, argues that investment in infrastructure is critical to New Zealand’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.

New Zealand has a strong construction sector, particularly in Auckland where the value of total building rose from $12 billion in 2015 to $24 billion in 2019. In 2019, construction accounted for 9.6 per cent of all jobs in the national economy and was the second largest sector.

The report authors call on the government to protect public sector investment in the face of rising debt to increase New Zealand’s productive capacity and reduce unemployment. Before the pandemic hit, the country’s infrastructure pipeline totalled $41 billion in ongoing and planned projects. The government has since tasked the Infrastructure Industry Reference Group to identify infrastructure projects to fast-track in the wake of COVID-19.

The report suggests increasing the spend on asset management and maintenance, taking a precinct approach to new opportunities, and focusing on digitally delivered infrastructure to maximise the social and economic benefits of infrastructure investment.

Read the report