Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop has welcomed the release of the draft National Infrastructure Plan, but Māori experts in the sector are calling for assurances that tangata whenua will have a voice and share in the benefits.
Bishop unveiled the plan at the 2025 Looking Ahead Infrastructure Symposium at Parliament on Wednesday, describing it as a roadmap to get better value from the billions spent on roads, rail, water, housing, schools and other essential services.
The independent Infrastructure Commission, which prepared the draft, paints a stark picture of New Zealand’s performance. Despite being among the top 10% of OECD countries for infrastructure spending, Aotearoa ranks among the bottom 10% when it comes to getting value for money.
Bishop says the current system is “underperforming”, and years of poor maintenance have led to leaky hospitals, mouldy schools, failing police stations and run-down Defence Force housing.
The draft plan recommends major reforms, including:
- Better use of user-pays systems to fund new infrastructure
- Stronger spatial and resource planning
- Clearer investment priorities
- Improved asset management and maintenance
The Minister says the Government has already begun work to fix asset management in central government and is encouraging all political parties to engage with the draft plan.
Māori voices demand genuine partnership
But Māori leaders say infrastructure planning must also reflect the rights, aspirations and needs of tangata whenua.
David Tikao, Investment Manager Endowments, Ngāi Tahu Holdings, told the symposium before the Minister speaking on the Infrastructure plan that “Iwi are open for business” and to urge genuine and timely consultation for large-scale projects.
Deputy Chair, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust, Ngarimu Blair, says infrastructure investment should be welcomed, regardless of politics, but only if it delivers for Māori communities.
“Whatever shade of government, Māori should welcome infrastructure investment to ensure the economy thrives, jobs are created and maintained, and essential services are delivered that benefit our communities too,” Blair said.
Blair says Māori must also pay close attention to where the money flows, and wades into the most recent Ngāpuhi settlement discussion.
“Māori should be interested in where the investment is going geographically. For instance, new rail, roads and ports to Te Tai Tokerau would do more, and more quickly, than any cumbersome and miserly Treaty settlement ever would,” He asserted.
While iwi and Māori businesses have been increasingly active investors in housing, energy and commercial development, Blair warns that when it comes to large-scale infrastructure, unity is essential.
“We, Waikato Tainui and Ngāi Tahu individually, are too small to be a player in major infrastructure investment. To be relevant, we need to work together and put the muskets to the side by respecting whomever’s rohe we are investing in.
“Where Māori and government must do better is to ensure our people have access to tender for contracts at all scales. More pūtea in the pockets of our people is the fastest and surest way to improve our current poorer health and social conditions,” He said.
There are concerns Māori are still being locked out of key opportunities to participate not only as landowners, but as investors, contractors and workers.
Blair also pointed to historical injustices where iwi land was taken or gifted for infrastructure projects, but the promised benefits have been slow to materialise.
Fast-track reforms welcomed — but frustrations remain
The Government’s efforts to fast-track consenting for infrastructure projects have been controversial, but Blair says the system is undeniably broken, with Auckland offering a clear example.
“Currently, in Auckland, we have to consult 19 iwi for a project on our whenua in the CBD. This is patently ridiculous and a complete rort by a few iwi, which soaks up time and money with no added benefit. Inefficiency is across the whole system, adding cost and time, and it’s good this government is attempting to address this.” Blair said.
With public consultation on the draft Infrastructure Plan now underway, Blair says it is crucial that Māori, particularly Post-Settlement Governance Entities (PSGEs), iwi authorities and Māori businesses, make their voices heard.
Te Tai Tokerau - How the plan can boost the regions
With Ngāpuhi in the headlines this week and on the lips of Wellington bureaucrats and politicians, Tupu Tonu, the Ngāpuhi Investment Fund, is arguably an example of why Māori investment in infrastructure is not only necessary but overdue.
The fund was established to create economic opportunities and build intergenerational wealth for Ngāpuhi, Aotearoa’s largest iwi. With a focus on long-term, sustainable investments, Tupu Tonu has signalled interest in key sectors like housing, energy and transport — areas where infrastructure underpins both economic growth and community wellbeing.
As the Government calls for better infrastructure planning, many argue Māori must be partners in both the investment and governance of these projects to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi and ensure developments deliver real benefits for Māori and wider communities.
However, Tupu Tonu has in the past come under fire from NZ First MP and Minister Shane Jones, who labelled the fund “inept” and accused it of failing to deliver adequately for Northland. More recently, Jones has since started drafting a members’ bill to create a single commercial Treaty settlement for Ngāpuhi, arguing there is no benefit to dragging the process out further.
What next?
Public consultation on the draft National Infrastructure Plan is open now, with a final version expected at the end of the year.
The Government plans to formally respond to the plan in 2026.
