Āpōpō’s purpose is to enhance the capability of infrastructure asset management professionals for Aotearoa New Zealand. One of the ways we carry out our purpose is by advocating, on behalf of members, to strive for asset management excellence.
Greater Rigour and Impact
This week we have had the opportunity to help build the profile of asset management as a valuable profession. As part of the 2025 Beca Āpōpō Year of Asset Management (see below), along with Priyani de Silva-Currie, Āpōpō Life Member and past President, and Beca Technical Director/Principal Asset Advisory, and Sarah Lang, Beca Business Director Government Relationships, I sat down with Labour MPs Hon Barbara Edmonds and Tangi Utikere with Green MP Hon JulieAnne Genter. As their party’s representatives for Finance, Local Government and Transport, and Infrastructure and Transport respectively, the purpose of the meeting was to discuss how asset management can be carried out with greater rigour and impact, particularly in relation to Crown owned infrastructure.
Crown Agency Attestations
I reflected that the 2023 OECD ranking of New Zealand as bottom of 33 nations for asset management professionalisation and accountability was not a fair indication of either the people dedicated to the asset management profession, or where Āpōpō is helping to take our country. With our professional accreditation programme, training and development support, guidance resources, knowledge sharing events, global connections and sector performance recognition, Āpōpō is leading the way for professional and dedicated asset managers in New Zealand, ensuring that they are able to practice at the highest levels of competency. And there are exciting pockets of exemplary activity which prove the point well – as I am seeing in recent submissions for the 2025 Asset Management Excellence Awards. However, we also discussed the July 2024 Crown agency attestations that revealed disappointing non-compliance with Cabinet expectations of sound asset management practice by a wide ranging selection of asset owning agencies. A need to strengthen the capabilities of such agencies was highlighted.
Quality of Life
So why do we care? Ultimately, poor asset management practices undermine the value returned from investments made by communities in the infrastructure that they rely on for realising their collective desired quality of life. Quite a grand statement, but one that is fundamental, regardless of the nature of the asset owner. With 99% of the infrastructure required by New Zealand in 2050 already in existence, asset managers need to be at the forefront of politician’s thinking as they consider the best way to meet communities’ quality of life expectations. As the country’s largest single asset owner, the Crown, represented by the Government, has quite a responsibility. We (asset managers) are certainly part of their answer to discharging that responsibility.
Minister for Infrastructure, Hon Chris Bishop, has written to express his interest in the work of Āpōpō and welcomes our support to “make government a more efficient and effective infrastructure asset manager”. I look forward to further similar conversations in the coming months with Government Ministers and to advocating further for the work done by Āpōpō to enhance the capability of infrastructure asset management professionals for Aotearoa New Zealand.
Murray Pugh
Āpōpō CE
