Addressing NZ’s Infrastructure Asset Management Challenge

Āpōpō applauds the direction and focus of the Government’s newly announced work programme addressing New Zealand’s infrastructure asset management challenge¹.

Āpōpō is excited to be working with the Government in growing a Central Government Asset Management Community of Practice to support public sector asset management professionals in their valuable contributions to New Zealand’s prosperity. This collaboration with Te Waihanga, initiated by Āpōpō with support from our corporate partner Beca, is now firmly established as part of Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop’s crusade to deliver better infrastructure value for all New Zealanders.

Minister Bishop took the opportunity of the 2025 Āpōpō Congress to set out Cabinet’s position on public sector asset management, identifying five priorities in the first phase of a comprehensive work programme to be delivered in 2025 with phase two from 2026.

Updating the Better Business Case and Gateway frameworks is overdue given significant economic, geo-political and social change since being introduced in 2008. Ensuring that these base frameworks for investment decision making and assurance are fit for taking the country into the 2030’s and our next generation’s legacy is critical work.

Utilising the IMF’s Public Investment Management Assessment Framework to self-assess our policy and public institutional settings should provide valuable and actionable insight into our infrastructure governance practices. Improving our planning, allocation and implementation of infrastructure initiatives along with establishing effective legal and regulatory frameworks, appropriate staff capacity and enabling IT systems, is critical to addressing the public sector’s challenge to provide infrastructure that is fit for New Zealand’s current and future needs.

The soon-to-be-released draft National Infrastructure Plan is expected to call for improved asset management and long-term planning performance indicators, as well as guidance on what ‘good’ asset management looks like. For New Zealand’s infrastructure to be rescued from its current poor condition, strong focus and accountability on achievement of ‘good’ asset performance and value delivery must be prioritised.

Creating standardised and accessible asset registers across public asset owners will help to address the lack of information regarding our public infrastructure. Taking the Wellington City Council GIS model for underground assets and applying this at scale across New Zealand is an excellent example of leveraging existing best practice.

Āpōpō is looking forward to phase two of Cabinets’ focus on asset management which will publish the 30 year National Infrastructure Plan in 2026. This plan is expected to set out some detail around investment management and infrastructure priorities. Āpōpō is also advocating that part of the plan is dedicated to improving system level asset management by mandating relevant performance indicators and benchmarks and holding agencies to account for their stewardship of New Zealand’s publicly owned infrastructure assets.

A review and update of CO23(9)² is expected to strengthen compliance with Cabinet expectations that asset management is a minimum requirement, not an optional extra for asset intensive agencies.

Achieving such accountability may require legislative intervention, beyond the existing Cabinet Office Circular. Cabinet has indicated it will readily consider this given the criticality of improving current public sector asset management performance.

Āpōpō is well positioned to assist Minister Bishop and the Government to prioritise asset management with stronger rules for the public sector. Such rules should focus on empowering the asset management professionals of the public sector with the tools and knowledge required to improve performance and delivery from our country’s past, current, and future infrastructure investments. This in turn will go a long way to enabling greater economic growth and long-term value for New Zealand, as delivered by our infrastructure assets.

About Āpōpō – Infrastructure Asset Management Professionals

Āpōpō is the lead association for infrastructure asset management professionals in New Zealand. With over 1,100 members and founded in 1948, Āpōpō represents those who take responsibility for managing the country’s infrastructure assets that deliver community outcomes, including roads, rail, air and sea ports, pipes and water treatment plants, and community health, education, justice and defence facilities. Formerly known as ALGENZ, INGENIUM and, until 2023, IPWEA NZ, Āpōpō offers professional development courses, events and asset management practice guidance, as well as globally recognised accreditation, career pathways and industry recognition through annual awards and scholarships.