Matthew Birchall: Deficit obsession ignore abysmal state of Kiwi infrastructure delivery

It is often said that New Zealand faces an infrastructure deficit. In an influential paper, economic consultancy Sense Partners estimated the cost of addressing this shortfall as over $200 billion. But is deficit the best way to frame New Zealand’s obvious infrastructure challenges?

There are two reasons why that narrative about New Zealand’s infrastructure needs is counterproductive.

Matthew Birchall: Where to from here for infrastructure policy?

New Zealand’s infrastructure is under intense scrutiny. From Three Waters to Cyclone Gabrielle, from ruptured pipes in Wellington to growing traffic congestion in Auckland, vulnerabilities in New Zealand’s infrastructure network are glaringly apparent.

National, ACT, and NZ First all made infrastructure a priority on the campaign trail. So, now that they have taken office, what can we expect from the new Government? And what are the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead?

Matthew Birchall: The generational housing divide

Like many young Kiwis, I was surprised to learn during the election campaign that Chris Hipkins and Christopher Luxon both bought their first homes at the tender age of 24.

As someone who has recently written on the history of housing in New Zealand, I should not have been so surprised. New Zealand has long been a houseproud nation, and for much of the 20th century, the “quarter-acre dream” was a reality for many Kiwis – the two Chrises included.

And still, the number 24 nagged.

Matthew Birchall: The road ahead

Now that the special votes have been counted, it is time to get down to the nitty-gritty of forming a government. The likely coalition partners National, ACT and New Zealand First will have to navigate political potholes and the odd speedbump if they are to form an effective relationship.

One policy area where there is significant consensus, though, is transport.

Matthew Bircall: Electoral quirks

We made it – or at least, we thought we had.

After a tiring and often dispiriting election campaign, New Zealand has voted for a new centre-right government.

However, New Zealand’s electoral system means that Christopher Luxon’s ascent to the 9th Floor will be far from straight-forward.

Matthew Birchall: Leaders debates should be more than just entertainment

In Amusing Ourselves to Death, the American cultural critic and media commentator Neil Postman argued that television had debased public discourse.

His central thesis rested on the idea that television, with its emphasis on soundbites and sensationalism, reduced even the weightiest of matters to mere trivialities. According to Postman, this shallow approach to communication stripped public debate of the depth and nuance it desperately needed.

Matthew Birchall: The legacy of Government spending

October 15 cannot come soon enough, and not just because of a potential Rugby World Cup showdown between the All Blacks and Ireland.

Like many, I have found Election 2023 a tedious affair. Each week, another scandal or poorly conceived policy hits the headlines. And each week, we seem to be stuck in a never-ending debate about spreadsheets and fiscal holes.

Matthew Birchall: Beyond the election debate soundbites

What is the purpose of televised leaders’ debates?

Ideally, these staples of the political calendar should inform, educate and entertain. If done well, they provide voters with a deeper insight into the candidates vying for the 9th Floor and the direction they intend to take the country. That, surely, can only be a good thing.

But do our leaders’ debates still fulfil their traditional purpose, or are they quickly becoming a relic of a by-gone era?

Matthew Birchall: Wellington's water woes

The Bucket Fountain in Wellington’s Cuba Mall has long been the capital city’s iconic water feature. However, it seems that new competition is emerging.

Burst pipes and leaks have become a regular part of life in the world’s leakiest little capital. Around 44% of the region’s water supply is currently lost to leaks. That’s the equivalent of 27 Olympic-sized swimming pools down the drain each day.

Matthew Birchall: New Zealand's AI future

It is brave to invite an historian to speak at a conference about the future. As the Scottish historian Tom Devine once quipped, the future was not his time period.

So it was with some trepidation that I addressed a full house at Wellington’s new Tākina conference centre last week for the policy forum Diplosphere’s conference on AI.

Matthew Birchall: Tunnel vision

Another week, another transport policy announcement.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and freshly-minted Transport Minister David Parker released the Government’s preferred option for a second Auckland harbour crossing.

Their “bold plan for Auckland’s future” comprises two three-lane road tunnels under the Waitematā, and a separate 21km light rail tunnel linking the project to the existing Auckland Light Rail corridor.

Matthew Birchall: NZ's roading problems can't simply be patched over

The number of potholes on the country’s highways has more than doubled since 2017. In 2022 alone, more than 54,000 needed urgent repair.

Yet problems with how New Zealand’s roads are funded and managed are deeper than even the biggest pothole. And they can’t be patched over with measures like National’s proposed Pothole Repair Fund.

Structural reform is needed.

Matthew Birchall: Paving the way - Learning from NZ's past to build a better future

Good infrastructure is essential for modern life.

Just think about your day.

Maybe you caught the train to work or picked up the kids from school in your car. You hopefully made use of the water network for your daily shower. And you probably charged your phone or laptop using a power grid.

But have you ever wondered where this infrastructure came from?

Matthew Birchall: How history can help us build back better

Infrastructure is high on the agenda this election year.

And why wouldn’t it be?

Broken bridges, potholes and leaky pipes abound.

Yet, while we often talk about New Zealand’s infrastructure woes, we sometimes neglect the valuable lessons of our past. That is a missed opportunity.

Matthew Birchall: The great harbour crossing announcement

The Super City is saved. The government has unveiled five exciting options for a second harbour crossing, which means that Aucklanders will no longer have to endure bumper-to-bumper traffic and road rage when they cross New Zealand’s most famous bridge.

The precise details of the new bridge may still be shrouded in mystery, but it’s already being hailed as “transformational” and “visionary” by people who love buzzwords.

And with a final decision set to be made in June, there’s simply no time to waste on trivial things like determining the actual need for a bridge or how it might be paid for. The marketing campaign needs to begin now, so everyone can get hyped up about the new addition to Auckland’s cityscape before the election.

Matthew Birchall: Paying the price for slow progress

New Zealand’s resource management system is a contradictory mess.

At least, that is the impression you get reading a recent report commissioned by the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission on the cost of climate consenting.

Prepared by Sapere Research Group, Infrastructure Consenting for Climate Targets looks at changes to energy and transport infrastructure that may be necessary to reach net zero.

Matthew Birchall: Infrastructure recovery

Cyclone Gabrielle has battered New Zealand’s infrastructure.

Roads, bridges and powerlines across large swathes of the North Island have been decimated. A substation has been flooded. And thousands of homes, farms and businesses lie caked in mud and silt.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson has suggested that the rebuild could cost $13 billion. That rivals the initial estimate for the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake.

And it means that the fallout from Gabrielle will be felt for many years to come. The government needs to get its response right.

Matthew Birchall: In praise of William White (1824--1899) provincial pioneer

Getting things done in New Zealand can be a challenge. Even a simple deck extension can prove a hurdle.

But it was not always so difficult.

The story of William White of Kaiapoi shows what can be accomplished when Kiwis are able to simply get to work and build.

Matthew Birchall: The seduction of grandeur

New Zealand is small and relatively young, but it has a rich history that can help us think through today’s problems. Unfortunately, we often ignore the lessons of the past.

This historical amnesia has a cost, even if it is difficult to quantify.

Over the last several months, I have been exploring the history of our critical infrastructure. It has been a more enjoyable experience than it sounds! From Julius Vogel’s national rail network in the 1870s to the rollout of broadband in the new millennium, New Zealand’s past is littered with fascinating success stories.

Matthew Birchall: Focus on infrastructure security

No one likes to spend their precious Saturday morning waiting for the train. But that is exactly what residents of northern Germany were forced to endure in early October, after cables needed to operate the trains were cut.

Traffic came to a standstill for three hours. Unless you owned a kiosk in the station serving coffee, you were unlikely to be impressed.

And all it took were two cables. Two cables.

This is just one small story that shows what can go wrong when critical infrastructure is not protected.