Gov’t announces new national resilience plan

As part of the New Zealand national budget for 2023, cyclone recovery minister Grant Robertson announced a national resilience plan with an initial funding of $6 billion to focus on building back better from recent weather events.

Citing the North Island floods and Cyclone Gabrielle, Robertson said that these natural calamities have added a level of urgency to Aotearoa’s infrastructure investment planning, as well as highlighted the importance of building resilient structures.

“In addition to our $71 billion infrastructure plan over the next five years, Budget 2023 sets aside $6 billion for strategic investments as part of a National Resilience Plan,” Robertson said in a news release. “This investment will initially focus on building back better from the recent weather events. It will also include future proofing road, rail, and local infrastructure wiped out by the extreme weather, as well as telecommunications and electricity transmission infrastructure.”

In addition to the new national resilience plan, the national budget has also allocated $100 million over five years to Rau Paenga, or the Central Crown Infrastructure Delivery Agency. This new Crown entity was repurposed from the Christchurch rebuild agency, formerly known as Ōtākaro Limited, and will support organisations unfamiliar with large-scale operations with their project deliveries.

Part of the national resilience plan also involves an Infrastructure Action Plan, which outlines focus areas for the government to make improvements over the coming years. These include:

• Ensuring that rebuilds and new builds are resilient in the face of climate change and extreme weather events
• Strengthening infrastructure investment decision-making and governance
• Strengthening partnerships with, and opportunities for, Māori, local government, and the private sector
• Building the capacity and capability of the government and of the infrastructure workforce to deliver and maintain infrastructure

Megan Woods, minister for infrastructure, said that this plan builds on the government response to the strategy by identifying actions across the wider work program.

“The Infrastructure Action Plan confirms this government’s ongoing commitment to addressing New Zealand’s infrastructure challenges. Most of the actions identified are already underway, with many more due to begin in 2023. More than half are expected to be complete in the next three years,” Woods said.

The 2023 budget has also allocated $1 billion for the cyclone recovery package which will help support Kiwis in their rebuilds as well as continued flood resilience.

What are your thoughts on this story? Please feel free to share your comments below.