18/06/2026
New Zealand faces a $200 billion infrastructure deficit. Getting out of it is not just about spending more, it is about spending better.
Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) should be our main tool for getting better value. Yet it underused in many government agencies, leaving decision makes without a clear way to compare value-for-money across major projects.
There are encouraging signs of reform, including proposed assurance processes for major investments and greater oversight from Te Waihanga. But the success of any reform will depend on consistent and rigorous application of CBA across the infrastructure pipeline.
If we want to close the infrastructure deficit, we need to ensure that infrastructure spending goes further.
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Katrina Van Houtte | Sean Gourley