Auckland hosted the Infrastructure Investment Summit on March 13-14, 2025, drawing over 100 investors from 14 countries who collectively manage around $6 trillion in assets.
In his opening remarks, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon emphasized the nation’s stability as a significant factor for attracting investors in an uncertain global landscape.
“New Zealand has been, and will continue to be, a poster child for social and political stability, in a more volatile and changing world,” Luxon told a crowd of potential investors in his opening statement. His message was reiterated by his National Party deputy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis, who said: “Stability is our middle name.”
“We have safe borders, extraordinary natural resources, a temperate climate, strong trading relationships,” Willis added.
The summit aimed to attract offshore private investment to help fund New Zealand’s infrastructure projects, including roads and prisons.
“We have a big infrastructure deficit in this country, and addressing it is critical to growth and boosting productivity,” Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop said. Bishop noted that his department is streamlining processes to create a high-performing infrastructure sector and make it easier for investors to invest in New Zealand.
Strong bipartisan support
Civil Contractors NZ CEO Alan Pollard praised the summit’s bipartisan approach to long-term infrastructure investment, highlighting that the two major political parties were on the same page, boosting confidence in the country’s infrastructure pipeline.
“The summit is a welcome signal that the nation’s infrastructure needs will get the attention they deserve. The investment opportunities presented are attractive and stable and have the potential to boost growth and improve productivity.”
Public-private partnerships
The government sees the strong interest and attendees’ payment for the summit as a vote of confidence in New Zealand’s economy. They hope some of the 100+ attendees will partner with the Government on infrastructure through public-private partnerships (PPP).
The attendees include domestic and international banks, such as Citibank, China Construction Bank, CDPQ, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, and New Zealand law firms.
“A number of Ministers made a clear commitment to attract more private capital, capacity, and capability into our infrastructure system to help create jobs, grow our economy, and lift our standard of living, which is a welcome recognition of the important place infrastructure plays in our nation’s prosperity,” Mr Pollard says.
Auckland Business Chamber CEO Simon Bridges anticipates public-private partnerships in health, justice, and the Māori economy.
He says that while investors want the sizzle and the vision, it is their capital that the country needs. “More specifically, this conference is about private investment in Government projects. So the Government’s basically got a lot of infrastructure projects that it is keen to get some private finance for, and these investors from overseas are coming to have a look at them and see if they stack up.”
This may involve public-private partnerships, where the Government collaborates with investors to raise capital and deliver projects instead of the Government borrowing the money itself.
On the summit’s first day, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones announced the first projects approved under the Fast-track Approvals Act. These include:
- Bledisloe North Wharf & Fergusson North Berth Extension: Expanding Auckland’s wharf to accommodate larger cruise ships, boosting import/export capacity.
- Delmore: A development of 1,250 residential dwellings in Auckland, contributing $249.5 million to GDP and creating 1,870 jobs.
- Maitahi Village: A Nelson project with 180 homes (50 Iwi-led), a commercial center, and a retirement village, with an estimated $308 million economic impact.
These projects demonstrated to the summit’s attendees the Government’s commitment to removing barriers and making infrastructure development quicker, easier, and more cost-effective.
These are just the initial steps in a series of infrastructure investments planned for the future. These include developments in housing and public infrastructure, such as the Northern Expressway that will link Warkworth to Te Hana, a new dock at Marsden Point in Whangarei, and private foreign investments in courthouses, featuring a new District Court in Waitakere, a combined High and District Court in Rotorua, and a Māori Land Court in Rotorua.
Significant investment will also be made in correctional facilities to provide 5,100 high-security beds over the next 20 years.
Upcoming infrastructure investments are set to significantly impact various sectors, including housing and public infrastructure. Notable projects include the Northern Expressway, which will link Warkworth to Te Hana, and a new dock at Marsden Point in Whangarei.
Additionally, private foreign investments will be made in courthouses, such as a new District Court in Waitakere, a combined High and District Court in Rotorua, and a Māori Land Court also located in Rotorua. Moreover, plans are underway to invest in prisons, which will provide up to 5,100 high-security beds over the next 20 years.
The Infrastructure Investment Summit in Auckland showcased New Zealand’s strong commitment to addressing its infrastructure needs through public-private partnerships, promoting stability and growth.
The Government’s bipartisan efforts to streamline processes and attract private capital reflect a unified approach to tackling the infrastructure demand deficit and boosting productivity.
While concerns over the privatization of public services persist, the summit’s high interest signals investor confidence in New Zealand’s economic future.
With major projects underway and more planned, the summit marked a key step in shaping the country’s infrastructure landscape for long-term economic benefits.
Sources:
Investment Summit: Bipartisan Infrastructure Approach Welcomed. (2025, March 14). Business Scoop. Retrieved from https://business.scoop.co.nz/2025/03/14/investment-summit-bipartisan-infrastructure-approach-welcomed/
Coughland, T. (2025, March 13). New Zealand investors flock to Auckland for infrastructure summit. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved from https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/investors-flock-to-auckland-for-infrastructure-summit/55WMLWPN6RFBHBN3CJCZLUKLZE/
‘Investors want the sizzle’: Infrastructure investment Summit kicks off in Auckland. (2025, March 13). NewstalkZB. Retrieved from https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/early-edition-with-ryan-bridge/audio/simon-bridges-auckland-business-chamber-chief-executive-on-infrastructure-investment-summit-in-auckland/
INVESTMENT SUMMIT: First Fast-Track projects into process. (2025 March 13). Beehive.govt.nz. Retrieved from https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/investment-summit-first-fast-track-projects-process
Small, Z. (2025, March 13). Luxon promotes NZ’s ‘stability’ to investors in bid for foreign cash to build roads, prisons. Stuff. Retrieved from https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360614650/luxon-promotes-nzs-stability-investors-bid-foreign-cash-build-roads-prisons
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