By Matthew Keir, Director, Data Science and Analytics
National Infrastructure Pipeline – a view of future infrastructure initiatives
Over the past five years, the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission has been working with the infrastructure sector to develop the National Infrastructure Pipeline (Pipeline) – a publicly available searchable online dataset – to provide a view of what infrastructure initiatives are under construction, what’s being planned, what’s been funded and when it might come to market.
“In 2020, we had 21 organisations contributing information on about 500 active projects,” says Matthew Keir, Director – Data Science and Analytics.
As at June 2025, the Pipeline had 9,200 projects worth about $237 billion, explaining over 4% of GDP in the next year. Over half ($125 billion) of the total value reflects initiatives that were reported as funded, part-funded, or with a funding source confirmed.
“That big lift is in large part because of the number of contributors we now have – over 120 from across central and local government, and the private sector. But it’s also because contributors are telling us more of what they have planned through their regular updates of their information.”
What this means for the construction industry
Around one-third of the construction workforce works in infrastructure.
“For the wider construction sector, the Pipeline provides an opportunity to get more visibility on the status of projects within their region or sector, including implementation timing, procurement arrangements, and potential workforce and resource requirements,” Keir says.
“This increased visibility helps to drive better coordination and sequencing of initiatives. It also supports investment decisions and workforce planning for the capabilities we will need to deliver these initiatives.
“With the support of our contributors, we’re still improving the Pipeline, which means it will become even more powerful over time. To date, we’ve focused on getting central and local government entities on board as contributors, as combined, they represent over two-thirds of our infrastructure investment. The commercial sector represents about 31% of New Zealand’s infrastructure; however, it isn’t as well represented in the Pipeline as it could be,” Keir says.
Supporting better decision-making
Insights from the Pipeline are also helping to shape the National Infrastructure Plan that the Commission will deliver to the Minister for Infrastructure at the end of 2025. The Plan will provide a 30-year view of how we can get the right infrastructure services in the right places at the right times.
“We’ve tracked roughly 24,000 projects through their lifecycle from early scoping to completion or closure. This evidence base is used to support our advice to the government and inform the Plan,” Keir says.
Explore the Pipeline: https://tewaihanga.govt.nz/the-pipeline
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