ACT's Infrastructure Policy
ACT supports infrastructure funded by the users who benefit through road user charges, water user charges, and public-private partnerships. They oppose government borrowing for infrastructure and support removing consenting barriers that delay private infrastructure investment.
In simple terms
Make users pay for infrastructure through charges, bring in private investment, and cut red tape so infrastructure gets built faster.
Impact to New Zealanders
User charges on roads and water appear, benefiting wealthy areas that attract private investment while rural communities struggle to afford access.
Private companies prioritize profitable urban projects over essential regional maintenance, forcing councils to raise local rates to fill funding gaps for their own communities.
New Zealand splits into premium infrastructure zones for paying users versus underfunded areas, entrenching regional inequality as businesses relocate toward reliable private-funded networks.
Green Party's Infrastructure Policy
The Green Party prioritises investment in renewable energy infrastructure, public transport, water infrastructure, and broadband in underserved communities. They support a Green New Deal-style public investment programme funded through borrowing and progressive taxation.
In simple terms
Invest heavily in green energy, public transport, clean water systems, and broadband, funded by borrowing and taxes on the wealthy.
Impact to New Zealanders
Government borrows heavily; interest payments rise, leaving less budget for schools, hospitals, and other services unrelated to infrastructure.
Wealthy individuals and businesses relocate assets overseas to avoid new taxes, reducing overall tax base and shifting burden onto middle-income earners.
Lower-income regions gain reliable transport and broadband, but housing costs surge nearby as investors and remote workers move in, displacing original residents.
Labour's Infrastructure Policy
Labour invested heavily in infrastructure through the New Zealand Upgrade Programme, the shovel-ready COVID recovery programme, and establishing Crown Infrastructure Partners. They focused on water services infrastructure, transport, and school rebuilds.
In simple terms
Invest billions in upgrading roads, rail, water, and schools, and use government agencies to coordinate and fund large infrastructure projects.
Impact to New Zealanders
Government borrows heavily; interest payments grow, leaving less budget for healthcare and welfare spending later.
Construction wages rise sharply, helping workers but pushing up building costs for private businesses and first-home buyers.
Improved infrastructure attracts businesses to cities, boosting some regions while rural areas fall further behind without equivalent investment.
National's Infrastructure Policy
National established the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission and passed fast-track consenting legislation to speed up large infrastructure projects. They support public-private partnerships, fiscal responsibility in infrastructure investment, and a national infrastructure pipeline.
In simple terms
Speed up big infrastructure projects, bring in private investment to help fund infrastructure, and build a long-term national infrastructure plan.
Impact to New Zealanders
Private firms prioritize profitable urban projects over rural roads, creating geographic investment gaps that worsen rural service access.
Faster project approvals bypass some community consultation, leading to infrastructure designs that don't match local needs, requiring costly retrofits later.
Private operators demand long-term revenue guarantees; tolls and user fees become normalized, shifting infrastructure costs from general taxpayers to frequent users.
NZ First's Infrastructure Policy
NZ First strongly supports regional infrastructure investment, particularly in Northland, the East Coast, and provincial New Zealand. They have secured significant regional funding commitments through coalition agreements, including the Regional Growth Programme and specific roading projects.
In simple terms
Invest in infrastructure for the regions that are often left behind, particularly Northland and provincial areas, through negotiated coalition deals.
Impact to New Zealanders
Road and rail upgrades attract construction jobs to regions, but funding diverted from urban maintenance creates backlogs in Auckland and Wellington.
Improved regional connectivity enables some businesses to relocate from cities, reducing housing pressure there but also reducing tax revenue from high-income urban areas.
Regional population stabilises, but dependency on government infrastructure spending grows, making these areas vulnerable if political coalitions shift or funding priorities change.
Te Pāti Māori's Infrastructure Policy
Te Pāti Māori advocates for investment in infrastructure on Māori land, Three Waters reform that recognises Māori rights to freshwater, broadband access for rural Māori communities, and a Treaty-based approach to all infrastructure decisions affecting Māori interests.
In simple terms
Invest in water and broadband on Māori land, recognise Māori rights to freshwater in any water reform, and involve Māori in all big infrastructure decisions.
Impact to New Zealanders
Water infrastructure investment on Māori land increases local employment, but central government budgets for other regions' projects get tighter.
Māori involvement in infrastructure decisions slows approvals for some projects, while accelerating others—creating winners and losers among communities waiting for upgrades.
Freshwater rights recognised to Māori shift private farm water access costs upward, potentially raising food and dairy prices for all shoppers nationwide.
TOP's Infrastructure Policy
TOP identifies a $1 trillion infrastructure spending shortfall over the next 30 years and proposes a long-term national infrastructure plan to address it. They support free public transport as a way to reduce road congestion and emissions, replacing the RMA with streamlined environmental legislation, and using the Land Value Tax to fund infrastructure development.
In simple terms
New Zealand faces a massive infrastructure deficit — TOP wants a 30-year plan to fix it, free public transport to reduce car dependency, and use land tax revenue to fund new infrastructure.
Impact to New Zealanders
Free public transport costs rates/taxes; commuters save money, but fewer buses may run in rural areas where usage stays low.
Land tax revenue grows as property values rise; urban developers face higher costs, potentially building fewer rental homes for lower-income earners.
30-year infrastructure backbone shifts jobs toward rail hubs; regional towns distant from transit corridors lose workers and retail spending, widening regional inequality.