NZ Infrastructure Council overdue

Wednesday, July 28th, 2004

NZ Infrastructure Council overdue

Business is expecting the Council for Infrastructure Development (NZCID) being launched today will begin to remedy New Zealand's infrastructural deficit thereby keeping our ambitions for growth on track in the same way that Australia's has across the Tasman.

The Employers & Manufacturers Association (Northern) says the advent of the NZCID is overdue.

"There's no doubt we have an infrastructural deficit in New Zealand," said Alasdair Thompson, EMA's chief executive.

"A key to remedy that is to keep a comprehensive scorecard on progress year by year like that published by the Australian CID (www.infrastructureReportCard.org.au ).

"In the same way we expect the NZ CID will publish regular reports to monitor progress and keep infrastructure firmly in the public eye where it needs to be.

"Australia's CID has proved an invaluable way to facilitate the independent source of information and advice to central and local government and we expect the New Zealand CID will prove similarly an excellent way to drive responses to our infrastructure requirements.

"No modern state can afford to invest 5% of GDP in infrastructure, which is the level required if New Zealand is to stand a hope of inching our economic performance back to level peg with Australia's. We need to harness private sector investment in partnership with government."

ENDS

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