Water infrastructure stories
Ratepayers could face more pressure unless ministers ease red tape, funding rules and reporting burdens on councils this year.
A government grant will test whether Hawke's Bay can revive a controversial dam scheme after years of water shortages and legal setbacks.
Future investment choices could be shaped by New Zealand's National Infrastructure Plan, as the commission seeks public feedback on its approach.
Project teams could cut waste and improve value for money if New Zealand adopts Victoria's lean delivery methods, an infrastructure expert says.
Questions are mounting over whether Wellington ratepayers are being asked to fund water works more expensively than necessary after a departmental misread.
Contractors warn delayed programmes could cost New Zealand skilled firms as councils hold back on urgent water network repairs and upgrades.
Tolls and other user charges could help fund New Zealand’s roads and water networks, while easing pressure on taxpayers and congestion.
Civil contractors warn the slow pipeline could force more job cuts unless immediate work is brought forward to keep firms afloat.
Cyclone Gabrielle showed why decentralised power could keep homes, water and communications running when the main grid fails.
The drill exposed gaps in Watercare’s rescue plans and could improve real-world response times at remote sites.
Record demand for New Zealand government bonds suggests ministers could borrow cheaply to tackle a $100 billion infrastructure gap.
Councils must decide whether to keep water services in-house or form regional CCOs, as new laws could reshape debt and rates bills.
Activity in the sector is set to return to 2020 levels as post-Covid demand eases and residential consents settle lower.
Nearly three-quarters of New Zealanders back user-based charging for electricity and water, giving councils cover to seek new funding tools.
Maintenance costs have surged 71% in three years, as a review warns Wellington ratepayers are funding leaks without proper oversight.
Floods at the international terminal have prompted a major stormwater overhaul that will protect operations and treat runoff before it reaches the harbour.
New Zealand’s infrastructure gap could widen without faster approvals, as the group urges PPPs, city deals and water reforms in Luxon’s first 100 days.
The report says Cyclone Gabrielle exposed how failures in power, water and communications can cascade across New Zealand's critical networks.
Only 7 percent of respondents trust the country's infrastructure to withstand extreme weather, as spending and project certainty falter.
The five-year plan aims to tackle workforce shortages, lift training standards and strengthen Māori participation across the sector.
