25-06-2025
Airports Welcome Draft National Infrastructure Plan's Call For Stable Policy And Smarter Investment
The NZ Airports Association says the release of the Infrastructure Commission's draft National Infrastructure Plan sets a positive course for long-term planning in New Zealand.
NZ Airports welcomes the plan's focus on funding reform and performance transparency, and urges stronger inclusion of the airports sector in the work ahead.
'The draft plan rightly calls out New Zealand's short-term, reactive approach to infrastructure. Airports are a positive exception, and a useful blueprint for other sectors,' says Chief Executive Billie Moore.
'Airports take a 30-year master planning approach to infrastructure maintenance and development. Regulatory settings under the Civil Aviation and Commerce Acts drive a focus on the long-term needs of customers and regions.
'As a largely user-pays sector, airport infrastructure is funded by those who use it.
'And our planning and consultation processes ensure that airport projects aren't just proposed – they're delivered. This is recognised by the public too – airports were rated the best-performing infrastructure sector in New Zealand in the Ipsos Global Infrastructure Index.'
NZ Airports supports the draft plan's call for stable policy settings, noting that uncertainty can delay vital investment across sectors.
'Like energy and water infrastructure, airports suffer when policy settings are repeatedly reworked.
'Our settings are well balanced and delivering the long-term planning, user-pays funding, and transparency the draft plan rightly promotes. That equilibrium is valuable, and it shouldn't be disrupted without good reason.'
The draft plan highlights the need for central government to be a better infrastructure owner and asset manager. NZ Airports says this must include the Crown's ownership of airports – particularly the five Joint Venture airports where the Crown holds a 50% share.
'These airports need capital investment to support long-term resilience and growth. Done well, this investment can help them transition to a more self-sustaining, user-pays model over time.'
NZ Airports notes the draft plan's omission of aviation and ports from its sector-by-sector breakdown.
'We look forward to working with the Infrastructure Commission to fix that during the consultation process underway now. Airports and ports are critical to national connectivity and economic resilience – they must be part of the national infrastructure story.'
Notes:
In April, NZ Airports released a new aviation infrastructure report developed by WSP with the support of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE). A summary and the full report are available here:
