This term, issue by issue · Transport, infrastructure and local government

Infrastructure: Opportunity's 30-year funding plan leads; NZ First's unfunded borrowing scores among the lowest

What is at stake now and by 2050

This term

Congestion, potholes, ageing pipes and rising rates are what voters feel this term, and councils carry much of the bill with few tools beyond rates. New Zealand spends heavily on infrastructure but gets weak value for it.

Number to know

New Zealand invested around 5.8% of GDP a year on infrastructure over the past 20 years, more than many high-income countries, yet achieves less.

Source: Te Waihanga, National Infrastructure Plan: executive summary (February 2026)

By 2050

Need grows as assets built in the 20th century wear out, so most future spending is renewal, not new build. Unless funding and planning hold across changes of government, deferred maintenance and capped rates push the cost onto later taxpayers and ratepayers.

Number to know

Annual infrastructure investment need rises from about $20b now to slightly more than $30b a year by the 2050s (2023 dollars); renewals are up to 80% of need in some sectors.

Source: Te Waihanga, Infrastructure needs analysis

Current settings

Te Waihanga's 30-year National Infrastructure Plan (February 2026) sits beside Roads of National Significance funded through the National Land Transport Fund, with the 2027 fuel excise rise cancelled and rises in 5c steps from 2028. A Rates Capping Bill (2% to 4% a year from 2029) has passed its first reading, and Local Water Done Well moves water into separate council entities.

The options on the table

Option	Backed by
Roads first, funded mainly through the land transport fund	National ACT
Mass transit and rail, with cheaper fares	Labour Greens NZ First
Borrow more through a dedicated infrastructure fund	Greens NZ First Opportunity
Legislate the 30-year plan and prioritise maintenance	Opportunity
Cap council rates	National
Give councils new revenue tools (visitor, congestion and value-capture levies)	National Greens ACT Opportunity
Freeze fuel excise	Labour

Where each party stands

Voter priorities out of 15 (the four core tests plus relief this term) and Readiness to 2050 out of 21 (the four core tests plus the three long-run tests). Current settings come first, as the bar to beat. Open a party for every test score, the rationale and the sources.

Current settings

Voter priorities: 9/15
Readiness to 2050: 12/21

Test scores, rationale and sources

Test	Score /3	Counts towards
Diagnosis	2	Both scores
Mechanism	2	Both scores
Funding	2	Both scores
Delivery	2	Both scores
Relief	1	Voter priorities
Future effect	1	Readiness to 2050
Durability	2	Readiness to 2050
Candour	1	Readiness to 2050

Rationale

A published 30-year plan and funded capital allowances give a named path, but the cancelled 2027 fuel excise rise leaves a land transport shortfall and the rates cap bill adds no new council tools, so costs move forward. Calibrated between the v1 infrastructure (13) and local government (8) scores.

Relief this term

The planned 2027 fuel excise rise is cancelled, but 5c steps resume from 2028; the rates cap starts only from 2029 and the Roads of National Significance and water entities mostly deliver after 2029.

Sources

National

Voter priorities: 10/15
Readiness to 2050: 14/21

Build more roads, cap rates and make councils and agencies cost projects better.

$1.75b Mill Road (2028), $800m Christchurch Northern Motorway; start Cambridge to Piarere and the Northern Expressway by early 2027
Cap rates rises at 2% to 4% a year from 1 July 2029, with an independent regulator
Give councils about $385m of the International Visitor Levy over four years
International cost benchmarks and legislated asset management plans; fuel excise up 5c steps from 2028

Test scores, rationale and sources

Test	Score /3	Counts towards
Diagnosis	2	Both scores
Mechanism	2	Both scores
Funding	2	Both scores
Delivery	3	Both scores
Relief	1	Voter priorities
Future effect	1	Readiness to 2050
Durability	2	Readiness to 2050
Candour	2	Readiness to 2050

Rationale

Named, dated road projects and cost benchmarking from a party in office, inside its fiscal plan, and it names motorists as payers through fuel excise from 2028. A rates cap with only a visitor levy share leaves council renewal costs unfunded, so Future effect is neutral.

Relief this term

Rates rises capped at 2% to 4% only from 1 July 2029, months before the election; Mill Road and other motorways start construction by 2027 to 2028 but open later; about $385m of visitor levy to councils over four years is small.

Sources

Labour

Voter priorities: 8/15
Readiness to 2050: 10/21

Fix schools and hospitals, start a Future Fund and freeze fuel tax.

NZ Future Fund run by the Guardians of the Super Fund, $200m initial capital
$400m for school improvements and $200m for hospital repairs
Freeze fuel excise for three years, which it says is fully funded
Restore Mana Whakahono ā Rohe iwi participation agreements in resource management

Test scores, rationale and sources

Test	Score /3	Counts towards
Diagnosis	1	Both scores
Mechanism	2	Both scores
Funding	2	Both scores
Delivery	2	Both scores
Relief	1	Voter priorities
Future effect	1	Readiness to 2050
Durability	1	Readiness to 2050
Candour	1	Readiness to 2050

Rationale

Names a construction backlog rather than the funding model; school, hospital and Future Fund money ($200m) is in its fiscal plan. Freezing fuel excise and using 1% of the land transport fund for fares draws on road funding, and it is silent on council finance.

Relief this term

The three-year fuel excise freeze is a cost of living item already credited in G01 and lowers road maintenance funding; Labour is silent on rates and congestion, and the school and hospital repair funds sit outside this problem.

Sources

Greens

Voter priorities: 6/15
Readiness to 2050: 8/21

Build mass transit and regional rail, and free councils from a rates cap.

Mass rapid transit in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch; fund Wellington rail renewals and Auckland level crossing removals
Up to 150 new regional bus services; Te Huia to Tauranga; Christchurch to Dunedin passenger rail
Reject the rates cap; let councils use bed levies, congestion charges and GST on rates
Local elections run by the Electoral Commission, with STV and voting at 16

Test scores, rationale and sources

Test	Score /3	Counts towards
Diagnosis	2	Both scores
Mechanism	2	Both scores
Funding	0	Both scores
Delivery	1	Both scores
Relief	1	Voter priorities
Future effect	1	Readiness to 2050
Durability	1	Readiness to 2050
Candour	1	Readiness to 2050

Rationale

Names car dependence and council underfunding, and follows the Infrastructure Commission's preferred transit options. The transport plan has no cost or funding source, so Funding is 0 and Future effect is neutral despite useful council revenue tools.

Relief this term

Mass rapid transit and intercity rail land after 2029; up to 150 regional bus services and new council tools (bed levies, congestion charges, GST on rates) could help but have no start dates.

Sources

ACT

Voter priorities: 9/15
Readiness to 2050: 12/21

Protect road money, demand the cheapest safe option and fund growth corridors.

Legislate that the land transport fund pays for roads only, with maintenance and renewals protected
Major projects publish a lowest-cost safe option with cost, time and benefit-cost ratio
Growth corridors get a funded capacity plan at 15,000 vehicles a day and extra lanes at 20,000
$1 per international visitor night to councils; $6 a day surcharge on temporary work visas (ACT estimate $80m a year; not in its fiscal plan)

Test scores, rationale and sources

Test	Score /3	Counts towards
Diagnosis	2	Both scores
Mechanism	2	Both scores
Funding	2	Both scores
Delivery	2	Both scores
Relief	1	Voter priorities
Future effect	1	Readiness to 2050
Durability	1	Readiness to 2050
Candour	2	Readiness to 2050

Rationale

Lowest-cost options, maintenance first and measurable corridor triggers are a plausible path, and its levies sit in its fiscal plan. A roads-only land transport fund pushes public transport costs onto rates, and the ring-fence lacks a stated partner.

Relief this term

Protecting maintenance in a roads-only land transport fund, corridor capacity triggers and $1 per visitor night to councils are rules and small transfers with no start date; little lands on potholes or rates this term.

Sources

NZ First

Voter priorities: 6/15
Readiness to 2050: 6/21

Borrow up to $100b for infrastructure and bring back passenger rail in the south.

Future Fund of up to $100b for a multi-decade infrastructure build (funding not stated)
12-month commuter rail trial in Canterbury and a Christchurch to Dunedin service
Fast-track housing must show infrastructure capacity and funding
Disestablish Auckland's Independent Māori Statutory Board

Test scores, rationale and sources

Test	Score /3	Counts towards
Diagnosis	2	Both scores
Mechanism	1	Both scores
Funding	1	Both scores
Delivery	1	Both scores
Relief	1	Voter priorities
Future effect	0	Readiness to 2050
Durability	1	Readiness to 2050
Candour	0	Readiness to 2050

Rationale

Names the infrastructure deficit, but the $100b Future Fund has no funding source, governance or projects, and NZ First has no fiscal plan. Borrowing on this scale without a plan shifts large costs forward.

Relief this term

A 12-month commuter rail trial in Canterbury helps a small group; the $100b Future Fund has no projects or timetable.

Sources

Te Pāti Māori

Voter priorities: 4/15
Readiness to 2050: 6/21

Cut transport costs as part of cost-of-living relief; no infrastructure or council finance plan.

Free public transport now for children, students and Community Services Card holders, half-price for others, and free for everyone within five years (uncosted)

Test scores, rationale and sources

Test	Score /3	Counts towards
Diagnosis	1	Both scores
Mechanism	1	Both scores
Funding	0	Both scores
Delivery	1	Both scores
Relief	1	Voter priorities
Future effect	1	Readiness to 2050
Durability	1	Readiness to 2050
Candour	1	Readiness to 2050

Rationale

A peripheral cost-of-living promise to cut transport costs, uncosted, with no position on infrastructure funding or councils. Scored on its merits, not silent.

Relief this term

Free public transport 'now' for children, students and Community Services Card holders and half-price for others would cut fares for many, but no start date is given and it does not touch congestion, potholes or rates.

Sources

Opportunity

Voter priorities: 10/15
Readiness to 2050: 16/21

Lock in the 30-year plan, borrow for long-lived assets and fix maintenance first.

Legislate Te Waihanga's 30-year plan; projects over $250m need a bill to cancel
Borrow up to $60b over ten years through a new Infrastructure Fund, interest under 1% of GDP
60% of future infrastructure spending on maintenance and renewal; asset registers for all agencies
Councils get congestion charges, value capture and accommodation levies; repeal the 30% cap on uniform charges; oppose rates caps

Test scores, rationale and sources

Test	Score /3	Counts towards
Diagnosis	3	Both scores
Mechanism	3	Both scores
Funding	1	Both scores
Delivery	2	Both scores
Relief	1	Voter priorities
Future effect	2	Readiness to 2050
Durability	2	Readiness to 2050
Candour	3	Readiness to 2050

Rationale

Diagnoses weak asset management with evidence (12 of 31 agencies without asset registers) and sets measurable targets (60% maintenance, progress reports at 100 days). Borrowing is costed (interest $2.5b to $3.5b a year) but not funded within its tax package; it names users, taxpayers and low-income households as payers.

Relief this term

Legislating the 30-year plan, 60% of future spend on maintenance and $60b of borrowing build over a decade; council congestion charges and levies have no start date, so little lands by 2029.

Sources

Place yourself

Agreeing sometimes means change and sometimes keeping current settings. Take the quiz to compare across every issue.

Statement	National	Labour	Greens	ACT	NZ First	Te Pāti Māori	Opportunity
Borrow to build. Government should borrow more to build infrastructure.	Disagrees	Disagrees	Agrees	Disagrees	Agrees	No stated position	Agrees
New council revenue. Councils should get new ways to raise money beyond rates.	Mixed	No stated position	Agrees	Agrees	Agrees	No stated position	Agrees
Rates cap. Council rates rises should be capped at 2% to 4% a year from 2029.	Agrees	No stated position	Disagrees	No stated position	No stated position	No stated position	Disagrees
Fuel excise rises. Fuel excise should continue to rise from 2028 to fund roads.	Agrees	Disagrees	No stated position	No stated position	No stated position	No stated position	No stated position
Roads-only transport fund. The National Land Transport Fund should pay for roads only.	Disagrees	Disagrees	No stated position	Agrees	No stated position	No stated position	Disagrees

✓ Agrees, ○ Mixed, ✗ Disagrees, · No stated position. Silence is a finding.

Why each statement matters

Borrow to build Government should borrow more to build infrastructure.
What it means
The Government now builds within set capital budgets, keeping net debt below 40% of GDP. Agreeing means borrowing more for roads, pipes and hospitals, such as $60b over ten years.
The case for
Assets that last decades can be paid for over decades, and delay makes the backlog dearer.
The case against
More debt means higher interest bills and less room to respond to future shocks.
The trade-off
Today's or tomorrow's taxpayers paying, as yearly needs pass $30b by the 2050s.
New council revenue Councils should get new ways to raise money beyond rates.
What it means
Councils pay for growth and repairs mostly from rates. This would give them new tools: visitor levies, congestion charges and value capture (charging landowners who gain from new infrastructure).
The case for
People who use or gain from new roads and pipes would pay, rather than all ratepayers.
The case against
New levies add costs for visitors, drivers and firms, and ease pressure on councils to spend well.
The trade-off
More council funding versus new charges on households, tourists and business.
Rates cap Council rates rises should be capped at 2% to 4% a year from 2029.
What it means
Councils now set their own rates rises. A bill before Parliament would cap rises at 2% to 4% a year from 2029.
The case for
It protects households from fast-rising rates bills and pushes councils to control spending.
The case against
It could leave councils short for pipe and road renewals, pushing costs onto future ratepayers.
The trade-off
Lower bills now versus deferred repairs that grow dearer by 2050.
Fuel excise rises Fuel excise should continue to rise from 2028 to fund roads.
What it means
Fuel excise is the tax in every litre of petrol and the main source of the land transport fund. The 2027 rise was cancelled; it now rises in 5c steps from 2028. Disagreeing means a freeze.
The case for
Roads need steady funding, and those who drive most pay most.
The case against
Higher fuel prices hurt household budgets, especially for people with no other way to travel.
The trade-off
Reliable road funding versus lower costs at the pump.
Roads-only transport fund The National Land Transport Fund should pay for roads only.
What it means
The National Land Transport Fund is filled mainly by fuel tax and road user charges. It now also pays for public transport and cycling; this would limit it by law to roads only.
The case for
Drivers pay into the fund, so their money should go to the roads they use.
The case against
Buses and trains ease congestion for drivers too, and would need funding from elsewhere.
The trade-off
Protected road funding versus money for public transport.

The 2050 test

Opportunity's legislated 30-year plan, maintenance target and council funding tools build the 2050 position; ACT's lowest-cost and maintenance-first rules, National's cost benchmarking and asset plans, and Labour's Future Fund add smaller pieces. NZ First's unfunded $100b fund borrows from the future, and the rates cap without new tools, the fuel excise freeze and uncosted transit plans push renewal costs onto later ratepayers. Nobody sets out how the rising renewal bill for water, roads and public buildings is split between councils and the Crown to 2050.

Party	Effect to 2050	The policy that drives it	Would it last?
National	Neutral	Roads of National Significance, cost benchmarks and a 2% to 4% rates cap. Better cost discipline and new roads are offset by capping council revenue without new tools, which defers renewals. Source	Partly
Labour	Neutral	Future Fund ($200m) and school and hospital repairs. Catches up some public building maintenance, but the fuel excise freeze reduces land transport revenue and councils get nothing. Source	Partly
Greens	Neutral	Mass transit and regional rail, plus council revenue tools. Adds assets and council tools, but an uncosted transport plan leaves who pays unresolved. Source	No
ACT	Neutral	Roads-only land transport fund, lowest-cost options and maintenance first. Cheaper projects and protected maintenance help, but public transport costs shift to ratepayers. Source	Partly
NZ First	Borrows	Up to $100b Future Fund with no stated funding. Large borrowing with no governance, project list or plan to service it shifts cost onto later taxpayers. Source	No
Te Pāti Māori	Neutral	Lower transport costs. Does not address the infrastructure deficit or who pays for it. Source	No
Opportunity	Builds	Legislated 30-year plan, $60b Infrastructure Fund and 60% maintenance target. Locks in a cross-term pipeline, funds renewals before new builds and gives councils user-pays tools, though it raises debt by up to 15% of GDP. Source	Partly

All sources for this grouping are listed on the sources page.