ACT MP Simon Court has welcomed today’s announcement of the Government’s expectations for City and Regional Deals and the signing of the first agreements to begin negotiations with three regions.

“For years ACT has championed the idea of genuine partnerships between central and local government to make sure important infrastructure actually gets built,” says Mr Court.

“Today’s announcement puts that idea firmly into practice. By setting clear objectives for City and Regional Deals, the Government is taking a disciplined approach to solving New Zealand’s infrastructure deficit without simply writing blank cheques from the taxpayer.

“These deals will mean local and central government can agree on joint priorities like enabling more housing, unlocking regional economic growth, and delivering better infrastructure. This is exactly the kind of long-term thinking that has been missing for too long in New Zealand.

“Before the 2020 election, ACT called for city and regional partnerships so infrastructure investment would be long term, coordinated between central and local government, and subject to robust cost-benefit analysis. That idea is now Government policy – straight from our Coalition Agreement.

“ACT has plenty more great ideas in this space, including sharing a portion of GST on new builds with councils – an ACT policy that our coalition partners have committed to explore. It would incentivise growth and development to occur while ensuring the infrastructure to support it can be funded properly.

“This is a great example of how ACT is making the Government better. We’re delivering results for taxpayers and ratepayers who want value for money, certainty, and infrastructure that supports more housing, more jobs, and a stronger economy

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