New Unit To Add Grunt To Infrastructure Plans
January 29th, 2009
Cabinet is expected to finalise details of a new advisory unit, probably inside Treasury, with a mix of public and commercial experience to give grunt to Infrastructure Minister Bill English and associate Steven Joyce. John Key wants urgent action on new roading projects. Water storage is also high on the Govt’s infrastructure agenda. Ministers have been told by experts the regulatory system is so complex, even if decisions are made to launch new water storage projects at a Govt level, it will take eight years for new projects to be started.
One of the first tasks of the new Infrastructure Unit will be to advise the Govt on how these blockages can be removed. The Govt intends to introduce amending legislation to the Resource Managemet Act to Parliament almost immediately when it resumes next month. Ministers describe it as a substantial piece of work, representing the first stage of a programme unfolding over the next two years to streamline the consent process and reduce the time it takes to navigate the regulatory hurdles.
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Duncan Cotterill