Resource Management Act (RMA) stories
Transport industry groups say decades of stop-start planning could end if National’s $31 billion road and rail programme goes ahead.
The project will add 93 MW of capacity and offset 100,000 tonnes of CO2 a year as MainPower begins site works near Waipara.
Planners warn the rushed consents could sideline community input and environmental safeguards as recovery projects are sped through this month.
New rules will impose tougher farm controls and swimming standards, but scientists warn implementation will determine whether waterways actually improve.
Billions in COVID-19 spending could be used to unlock projects, create jobs and speed New Zealand’s economic recovery, Infrastructure NZ says.
New roads, rail, schools and hospitals should help address years of underinvestment, though critics question whether USD $12 billion is enough.
A new report has reinforced pressure on ministers to back council infrastructure spending, after all eight cities were classed as severely unaffordable.
Fresh funding and planning reforms could speed up roads, water and housing delivery as New Zealand seeks to ease infrastructure bottlenecks.
Contractors still need project-by-project details, with major transport work due to wind down within 18 months and risking industry capacity gaps.
A new report says devolving housing and transport could improve delivery, while central government keeps most tax revenue and oversight.
Businesses and environmental groups say the overhaul could finally fix a dated system unable to handle growth, housing pressure and climate risks.
Poor planning is driving up housing costs and holding back productivity, according to Infrastructure New Zealand chief executive Stephen Selwood.
Affordable housing will remain out of reach unless ministers back new greenfield development and broader planning reform, an expert warns.
Contractors say New Zealand’s ageing water networks need faster decisions, after ministers deferred reforms and left regulation unresolved until late 2019.
New Zealand could slash transport emissions by up to 88% by 2050 if policymakers back a faster switch to electric and renewable fuel vehicles.
Auckland faces a 50,000-home shortfall as Infrastructure New Zealand warns the urban growth plan must avoid political stand-off to work.
A cloud-based compliance platform is giving the NZ Transport Agency, Auckland Council and contractor a single live view of consents on the $709.5m motorway.
Businesses want more roads, rail and broadband investment, but most doubt the current plan will deliver the best economic outcomes.
Transport bottlenecks and planning delays are among the pressures driving calls for more infrastructure investment across New Zealand.
Business leaders say transport bottlenecks and planning delays are constraining growth as most back higher public-private infrastructure spending.
