Funding impacts of the N.Z. Transport Strategy on the contracting industry.

This paper identifies the funding impacts of the New Zealand Transport Strategy on the contracting industry and sets out the industry’s response to them. In December 2003 the government announced an increase in funding of around $300m per annum effective from April 2005 to ensure the strategy was funded sufficiently to solve New Zealand’s land transport problems. Around that time it also announced a review of the central government sector to ensure central government and its agencies were arranged sufficiently to deliver on the strategy. Topics covered in this paper include 1. Impacts on plant, labour and material supply; 2. The need for certainty to encourage investment in plant and people; 3. Possible changes to Transfund’s procurement procedures to reflect the strategy; 4. Strategies to address skill shortages in the industry. The paper concludes with a view to whether the contracting industry will be able to deliver on Transit New Zealand and local authorities’ roading programmes arising from the strategy. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E212706.