New Zealand welcomes global investment at infrastructure summit

Global financial entities managing $6 trillion in assets are at the Infrastructure Investment Summit in Aotearoa to drive growth through key transport, health, and infrastructure developments.

New Zealand is hosting the Infrastructure Investment Summit in Tāmaki Makaurau.

The two-day event features international investment and financial entities from 14 countries, collectively managing $6 trillion in assets, alongside local iwi investors.

Chris Bishop, Minister for Infrastructure, highlights Aotearoa’s importance in attracting foreign investment.

“The summit is all about attracting investment into the infrastructure projects New Zealanders need to get ahead, so that we can grow our economy, create opportunities for New Zealanders, and raise the standard of living for Kiwi families,” he says.

To support this growth initiative, the Government is streamlining foreign investment laws, adjusting immigration settings, and launching Fast Track Approvals to facilitate project development.

Fatu Fuatavai, Director of Highrise Construction and former chairman of the New Zealand-Sāmoa Trade and Investment Commission, stresses the need for foreign capital and expertise to drive infrastructure development in Aotearoa.

“We need to get that flow of investment capital into the country,” he says. “We can’t just keep on printing money … and getting that foreign knowledge, foreign capital, creates the knowledge to do things ourselves.

“To me, it just sounds like it’s something we need to do. We’re going through the worst recession in 35 years, so it’s pretty tough out there.”

Ministers will present key projects in various sectors: transport, health, education, courts and corrections, and resources. Meanwhile, local iwi representatives will highlight the strength of the Māori economy and prospective investment opportunities.

In his address, Bishop announced that expressions of interest for the first stage of the Northland expressway project will open at this summit.

“We are getting on with the Northland Expressway, a new four-lane road from Warkworth to Whangarei,” he says.

“Connecting Northland to the Auckland region through a new expressway will unlock economic growth, boost productivity, and drive higher living standards for Northlanders and Aucklanders.”

The project’s first stage covers Warkworth to Te Hana, linking with the new Pūhoi to Warkworth expressway.

Fuatavai hopes the international investors will focus on sectors like health and education.

Minister for Infrastructure Chris Bishop, left, and Director of Highrise Construction Fatu Fuatavai. Photo/file

“Health, I know we’re very limited with our health experience and quite often we have to go overseas if we don’t get the right experience here.

“Education … we’ve just got to make sure that the parents are getting the education their kids deserve rather than sort of the vocal minority putting their viewpoints in.”

Bishop says that New Zealanders can take pride in the fact that some of the world’s most significant investment and infrastructure firms are keen to discover the opportunities available in New Zealand.

Fuatavai emphasises the importance of New Zealand adapting to technological and economic changes to maintain global competitiveness.

“We've got to keep up with the rest of the world. We've got to look at how the world is evolving every second of the day.

“If we don't keep up with, we're just going to be left behind.”

While he is sceptical about how Māori and Pacific communities can benefit from the infrastructure growth resulting from the summit, Fuatavai stresses the importance of changing mindsets.

“I think the biggest investment you can put into Māori and Pacific people is the mindset. You've got to be careful we give our people a hand up and not a hand out.”

Bishop emphasises New Zealand’s unique position in attracting the world’s largest investment and infrastructure organisations, underscoring the nation’s appeal as an investment destination.

“Their decision to come here demonstrates that New Zealand is held in high regard internationally as an economy that is worth investing in.”

Photo/File

Fuatavai echoes these thoughts. “New Zealand is prone for investment. We’ve got a beautiful country. We’ve got beautiful people.

“We’ve got a huge space for productivity growth. We’ve just got to be careful we don’t overdo things and make sure we’re watching how the rest of the world are doing things and whether we can learn lessons from it."

The two-day summit, which ends on Friday, will spotlight growth sectors such as aquaculture, renewable energy, clean technology, and advanced transportation, including space exploration.

Representatives are from Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.