August 18, 2025
News

Building Nations 2025: Key Insights for New Zealand’s Infrastructure Future

Jason Power

After a decade of attending Building Nations, Jason Power, Associate Director of Infrastructure, Auckland, still sees one message standing above the rest: New Zealand’s infrastructure future still needs more pipeline certainty, resilience and a shared vision.

Jason has been with WT for 10 years and leads our Auckland Infrastructure team. His experience gives him a unique perspective on how large-scale projects are delivered, where challenges emerge, and what lessons can shape better outcomes for our industry.

The Building Nations conference brought together leaders from across the public and private sectors to explore the challenges and opportunities shaping our infrastructure landscape. From political alignment to climate resilience, the discussions revealed both sobering realities and inspiring possibilities.

1. Bipartisanship is Essential for Progress

One theme has stayed consistent over the years: we need cross-party commitment to infrastructure. As Finance Minister Nicola Willis put it, “Uncertainty is the killer of confidence.” The past few years have shown the cost of uncertainty - cancelled projects, stalled progress, and communities left waiting.

The Canadian delegation offered a powerful reminder: “The most expensive infrastructure project is the one you don’t do.” Without long-term bipartisan agreement on project pipelines, industry confidence - and by extension, delivery - will always be at risk.

2. Lessons from the City Rail Link

The $5.5 billion City Rail Link is a landmark project, with 85% of its budget going to civil works, structures, and architecture, 13% to systems, and just 2% to operational readiness. Yet, it’s in that last stage, operational testing, where many critical issues arise.

To ensure the network is safe and ready for day one in 2026, the project team is carrying out over 16,000 tests across approximately 15,000 new assets, delivered in eight stages. This includes 73 trial runs and 11 emergency service exercises. The takeaway? Project risk doesn’t always align with where the majority of the cost is spent, and readiness needs to be a central focus from the start.

3. The Power of the Emergency Mindset

Emergency works demonstrate what’s possible when stakeholders and asset owners are fully aligned. With clear objectives, pre-arranged funding, and rapid approvals, projects in crisis situations move significantly faster and more efficiently than in normal circumstances.

This raises an important question: if we can deliver with such speed and collaboration in emergencies, why can’t we replicate that in everyday project delivery? Embedding the “emergency mindset” into business-as-usual processes could transform how quickly critical infrastructure is delivered.

4. Resilience Isn’t Optional

Hearing mayors share their experiences of natural disasters was a stark reminder that resilience is non-negotiable. Cyclone Gabrielle left Hawke’s Bay with a recovery bill exceeding $1.1 billion, and many councils operate with “no debt headroom,” meaning they are just one severe event away from insolvency without government support.

Projects like Riverlink in the Hutt Valley are not just about improving transport - they’re about protecting communities in one of New Zealand’s most densely populated floodplains. Infrastructure and resilience must go hand-in-hand.

5. Shifting the Narrative - From Cost to Value

One of the most compelling takeaways from the Canadian delegation was the need to change how we talk about infrastructure. Instead of focusing solely on what it costs, we should be talking about what it delivers - safer communities, better connectivity, economic growth, and future-proofed cities.

When we focus on the value and benefits, we bring people along with the vision. Infrastructure is not just an expense - it’s an investment in our collective future.

Building Nations 2025 made it clear: to build the future we want, New Zealand must prioritise pipeline, embrace resilience, and communicate the value of infrastructure in a way that unites communities.

Article by Jason Power, Associate Director of Infrastructure at WT, celebrating 10 years with the business and leading our Auckland team.

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