Watch live: Govt says billions being spent on infrastrastructure will create thousands of jobs
The ministers who were visiting a construction site in Drury were due to speak to media at 10.30am. Their briefing can be viewed at the top of this story.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon also took part in the briefing.
Minister for Economic Growth Nicola Willis and Minister for Infrastructure Chris Bishop said in a media release the projects would drive economic activity and create thousands of jobs across the country.
"The projects getting underway include new roads, hospitals, schools, high-tech laboratories and other government buildings," Willis said.
"That means spades in the ground, jobs throughout the country and a stronger economy.
Minister for Economic Growth Nicola Willis.
Photo:
RNZ / Mark Papalii
"Improving the quality of New Zealand's infrastructure is critical to growing the economy and helping Kiwis with the cost of living.
"Good roads, schools and hospitals help business to move goods and services to market quickly and efficiently, children to learn and doctors and nurses to get patients back on their feet."
The projects getting underway would create thousands of employment opportunities for New Zealanders, Bishop said.
"Numbers vary according to the nature of projects, but data sourced from the Infrastructure Commission suggests each billion dollars of infrastructure investment per year equates to about 4500 jobs.
"In total, workers are expected to start construction on $3.9 billion worth of roading projects in the next few months. They include the Ōtaki to north of Levin expressway, the Melling interchange, the Waihoehoe Road upgrade, and the new Ōmanawa bridge on SH29. All will help to lift productivity by getting people and freight to their destinations quickly and safely.
"Health projects kicking off include upgrades to Auckland City Hospital, Middlemore Hospital, and the construction of a new acute mental health unit at Hutt Valley Hospital. Construction work on the new inpatients building at the new Dunedin Hospital has also just begun."
Projects focused on improving school properties nearly $800 million in value would also be underway before the end of the year, he said.
Minister for Infrastructure Chris Bishop.
Photo:
VNP/Louis Collins
"Other government infrastructure projects due to start before the end of this year include a massive new state-of-the-art biosecurity facility in Auckland for the Ministry of Primary Industries and the Papakura District Court interim courthouse.
"Importantly, this is just the start. The National Infrastructure Pipeline, managed by the Infrastructure Commission, now shows planned future projects totalling $207 billion across central government, local government and the private sector."
Alongside the infrastructure update, Nicola Willis today released an update on the government's Infrastructure for Growth work programme. The update is the first refresh of the Going for Growth agenda launched in February to drive economic growth by backing business, improving infrastructure and skills, and removing barriers to innovation.
The projects beginning construction include:
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero
,
a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
14 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Billboard camera footage used by transport agency to spot cars and trucks
NZTA Waka Kotahi has used privately-owned automated number plate recognition cameras to identity number plates. File photo. Photo: 123RF Footage from cameras in billboards at city intersections have been secretly used by the NZ Transport Agency for the first time to spot cars and trucks. NZTA Waka Kotahi's trial started in February, and is designed to combat fraud by illegal garages issuing warrants of fitness to cars, or passing trucks. Two sources close to the vehicle inspection industry say the move is surprising and questioned why the agency would do it, especially with using third-party technology systems. Police already tap into privately-owned automated number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to identity number plates hundreds of times a day. But this is the first known use of that power by another state agency. "The ANPR donor cameras in the trial are not being used 'to spy on mechanics issuing warrants', nor would they be capable of being used for that purpose," NZTA told RNZ. "These cameras are typically located in billboards at urban intersections. "The trial is simply looking at the potential for using images gathered by these cameras to be used as proof of the location of a particular vehicle at a point in time." An inspector who claimed they had checked a car in Auckland at a certain time could be exposed if the car was spotted at a Christchurch intersection at that time, it said. It "could be of benefit in supporting investigations into specific cases where fraudulent or illegal activity is suspected". A well-connected industry source told RNZ: "Yeah, that has been a bit secret." NZTA might not have wanted to tip people off, the source said. "For the purpose the agency is stating, I don't have much issue with that, but the way they have gone about it is what alarms me. Especially because it's third-party [cameras and ANPR system]. "What else might they use them for?" NZTA Waka Kotahi said it was not using the images in any actual fraud investigations, but only as a test for potential future use. The test is separate from how the agency is taking over many speed and red-light-runner cameras from police, and replacing some with higher-tech models, which it will own. A second source active in the industry was appalled by the move. "Oh my god," they said. "It is part of your right to know the audit process you go through. You can't sabotage your process because of a trial." Months of inquiries by RNZ in 2018 showed up mass deficiencies in NZTA's oversight of how truck certificates of fitness were being issued. The systems were reviewed and changed. There have been further reports of inspectors anonymously recounting examples of how they feel they have been subject to unfair targeting by the agency. "You have got layers and layers of issues here," said the second source. "What's the limit [of surveillance]?" They questioned why was the camera sting even needed when fraud would "show up in paperwork. There will be tons of other evidence that can be used against people". Many supermarkets, petrol stations, other businesses and councils have a total of thousands of cameras that link into ANPR software systems run by two Auckland companies - Auror and SaferCities. The new trial uses SaferCities vGrid system , NZTA said. Its system covered electronic billboard operators such as LUMO, which had built-in cameras with ANPR software, and CCTV operators including councils, individual businesses and car park operators, the agency said. Police accessed the vGrid system more than 400,000 times last year. "NZTA only has access to still images from ANPR donor cameras whose owners have specifically agreed to our usage," Waka Kotahi told RNZ in the OIA response. "Currently, this only includes LUMO and more recently, Hamilton City Council." RNZ approached LUMO for comment. As of 2022, the country had at least 1400 digital billboards and screen-posters, many of them with smart technology and ANPR cameras . The police tapped the ANPR systems 700,000 times last year. In October, two district court judges dismissed legal challenges to the police using them so much without a warrant, though it is expected there will be at least one appeal against that finding. The fraud camera trial comes at the same time Waka Kotahi is reviewing the WOF-COF system to reduce how often collectors of old vehicles, and motorhome users, have to get a warrant. The agency has been increasing a lot of the fees it charges motorists since 2023. Another batch of rises is due next January that are expected to push up total fees collected by $10m to $264m . Camera footage could be used where it was suspected that WoFs or CoFs had been issued to vehicles which had not been inspected at the time or place recorded by a vehicle inspector, the transport agency said. It gave a hypothetical scenario to RNZ: "If NZTA was investigating a vehicle inspector suspected of fraud, and if the inspector had issued a WoF to a vehicle which was recorded as having been inspected at a WoF garage in Auckland at 2pm on 1 July, 2025, and we were able to access a still image from a donor camera of the same vehicle driving past a billboard located in Christchurch at 3:30pm on 1 July, 2025, this could potentially be used as evidence to prove that the WoF had been issued fraudulently, because the vehicle was not in Auckland at the time of the recorded inspection." This would not be a part of regular compliance monitoring, it said. Regular compliance monitoring included scheduled reviews where compliance officers visited inspection sites, as well as 'mystery shopper' activity. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
15 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Winston Peters immigration comments labelled ‘divisive rhetoric', ‘cynical politicking'
The remarks have not gone down well with two of the Opposition parties. The Greens' immigration spokesman Ricardo Menendez March said Peters' 'tired, decades-old playbook of blaming migrants' was a 'distraction' from other actions the coalition Government had taken, such as changes to pay equity rules and tightening emergency housing settings, which critics argue has led to an increase in homelessness. 'We aren't waiting for [Prime Minister Christopher] Luxon to show leadership and shut down this divisive rhetoric, which is why we are fighting to create 40,000 new jobs through a Greens Job Guarantee, build enough public housing and restore pay equity claims,' the Green MP told the Herald. 'We will also ensure every migrant worker is treated with respect and is free from exploitation.' The Greens' Ricardo Menéndez March was critical of the comments. Photo / Mark Mitchell Phil Twyford from Labour told Newstalk ZB it was 'cynical politicking' by Peters. 'Instead of focusing on the things that I think are important to New Zealanders, like the cost of living, they are resorting to imported culture wars that, frankly, New Zealand just doesn't need,' Twyford said. While he said there was always more to be done to improve the system, Twyford said New Zealand 'is completely reliant on immigration for our economy to work and for our society to work'. 'Migrants make a hugely positive contribution to this country. They enrich our communities. It's not helpful for politicians, for their own political purposes, to be trying to divide the community and turn one group of people against another.' Luxon on Sunday said it was important immigration was linked to 'our economic agenda and our ability to support immigration with good infrastructure'. 'Those are the three things that have to come together for any country, and certainly here in New Zealand as well,' the Prime Minister said. 'We have accelerated pathways for residency through the Green List for when we have got job shortages that we desperately need to get into our communities.' Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said immigration needed to be linked to the country's economic agenda. Photo / Mark Mitchell Peters told the Herald NZ First believed immigration should not be used as an 'excuse for our failure to train, skill and employ our own people'. That was one of the party's founding principles 32 years ago and remained 'as much a principle now as it was back then', Peters said. 'We, like wise countries, have always believed we should be training and employing our own people first and not use immigration as an excuse not to do that. That is still our plan.' He said New Zealand still didn't have strong enough initiatives to 'take people from secondary school into employment' and stressed the need for appropriate infrastructure to be in place to support migrants. 'There was a time when we were getting people from around the world putting down £10 to get here. They were coming to a job and a house and infrastructure, schooling, everything. Teachers and doctors and all sorts of people were coming here.' In the year to May 2025, there was a net migration gain of 15,000, driven by 140,000 arrivals and offset by 125,000 departures. The number of arrivals is down from a peak of roughly 235,000 in late 2023, but still above the long-term average of 119,000. However, due to the large number of departures, the net gain is below the average of nearly 28,000. Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. In 2025, he was a finalist for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.
RNZ News
17 hours ago
- RNZ News
NZTA has not developed national tolling plan
State Highway 16 full of slow moving morning traffic as the sun rises. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly The New Zealand Transport Agency / Waka Kotahi says it has not developed a national tolling plan but is working on a strategic network assessment. On government orders, the agency will be using tolls more to pay for roads. Internal documents in April said managers were going to develop a National Tolling Plan for the agency's board. But Waka Kotahi, in a response to a request under the Official Information Act, said no plan existed, and instead it briefed the board last month about being more strategic. "We are changing our tolling assessments to cater for a broader system network perspective... to provide decisionmakers with a more strategic, system-wide consideration of tolling the network," said the update in June. It was doing tolling assessments of all dozen or so roads of national significance in the works, including the Northland corridor to Whangārei, Mill Road in west Auckland and Tauriko West near Tauranga. "Due to data and modelling complexities associated with modelling tolling proposals for each section of the Northland Corridor, a proposal will be made to the board on the whole corridor" by the end of this year. An expensive overhaul of tolling technology had been going on for several years, however, the national manager of system design told RNZ an update on tolling tech has not been presented to the board.
