The team and I hosted a bunch of big international investors in Auckland this week. They’ve come from all over the world (and manage $6 trillion between them) to hear about the opportunities New Zealand has, and I want them to see the same potential in our country that I see.
Here’s why:
More investment into New Zealand means infrastructure gets built faster – everything from expressways to hospitals to new classrooms. These projects create jobs and lift incomes in your town, not to mention the long-term economic benefits of building infrastructure like roads. I met a vet recently who told me they could go to more jobs every week thanks to the time savings delivered by the Waikato Expressway. We want more of that.
In the past, we’ve successfully used private investment to help deliver world-class infrastructure like the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway and the rollout of ultrafast broadband, but now we’re working up a multi-decade pipeline of projects to make sure that investment keeps coming in and communities up and down New Zealand keep seeing the benefits, faster.
You might’ve already heard about one of the projects we’re looking for investment in – the Northland Expressway. Anyone who’s driven up North will know the roads are not good enough, and I think it’s holding the region back. How can a small business in Northland truly reach its potential when it takes forever to visit a potential customer or pick up materials? Poor infrastructure ends up costing everyone and that’s why we’re pursuing investment to get it built faster.
It's not just about infrastructure though. Many of the people we’re hosting have never been asked to consider investing in New Zealand before, and that means our local businesses have missed out on capital that could help them grow and create jobs. I hope that through this process, we can establish links with investors that businesses here at home can make the most of for years to come.
Most Kiwis don’t see the government as the answer to everything – they just want the settings right so they can unleash their potential.
Our job is to make New Zealand a great place to invest, get rid of the red tape standing in the way of getting stuff built (which is why we’re doing Fast-Track) and get out of the way so local businesses can grow, create jobs and lift incomes. Getting investment into our economy is a key part of that.
P.S. This is just one part of our plan to grow the economy to reduce the cost of living. Read more here: www.goingforgrowth.govt.nz
Thank you,
Christopher
