Thousands of jobs will be created as a result of billions of dollars’ worth of infrastructure projects getting underway this year.
The Government has released a list of infrastructure projects starting between now and Christmas. This includes $6.2 billion worth of new roads, hospitals, schools and courts to improve the quality of our infrastructure and help drive economic growth to help Kiwis get ahead.
We’re laser-focused on economic growth because it leads to more jobs and higher wages. Infrastructure projects like the Waikato and Kapiti expressways have already contributed to this.
Now, projects like Otaki to North of Levin, roading upgrades in Drury, and the Brougham Street upgrades in Christchurch will be moving at pace.
So too will new hospital and in-patient facilities across the country, including a new mental health unit in the Hutt Valley, Dunedin Hospital, and other upgrades critical to ensuring Kiwis get timely quality healthcare when they need it. We’re also investing heavily in school property - with 90 school property projects up and down the country being built between now and the end of the year.
This is just the start. The National Infrastructure Pipeline now shows planned future projects totalling $206.9 billion across central government, local government and the private sector. This will lead to the kind of sustained economic growth that reduces the cost of living for all Kiwis.
Many Kiwis are still doing it tough. However, there’s hope on the horizon. Inflation is stable, interest rates are falling, exports are growing, and this pipeline of significant infrastructure is a reason for further optimism.
Nicola Willis, Spokesperson for Economic Growth
Chris Bishop, Spokesperson for Infrastructure.