Wayne Brown

This year’s buzzword is definitely infrastructure. Both main parties are promising big spends on it as if it is some recently discovered concept that will bring them electoral victory. In fact it is a very old concept that is the basis of societies past and present. Remember the Romans and their roads and aqueducts, the Chinese and their walls?

Modern infrastructure mainly consists of roads and rail for transport, pipe networks for water supply, stormwater management and sewerage, and power grids for electrical energy. Modern societies continually upgrade and extend these things in order to qualify as a modern society.

Those enjoying dramatic economic growth like China propel themselves forward with continual giant steps in the provision of infrastructure. Those in decline try to live off the efforts of previous generations and watch their roads, bridges and dams fall into decline. Have a look at the ‘rust belt’ states in the United States.

Where does New Zealand lie in this picture? We should be up with the modern states but we have slipped back. We congratulate ourselves on high levels of renewable electricity but in fact we chose hydroelectric decades ago simply because it was cheaper.

So how did we get ourselves into the state where our politicians are promising stuff? Neglect, stupidity, short-term money shuffling? Actually, all of those, and I speak as a person who not only designs and installs roads and pipe and power networks, but also owns them.

None of the main party leaders making the big calls on infrastructure – Jacinda Ardern, Grant Robertson and Phil Twyford on Labour’s side and Simon Bridges, Paul Goldsmith and Chris Bishop on National’s – has any direct experience in any of the items that constitute infrastructure so they rely on advice from the Treasury and the recently formed Infrastructure Commission, none of whose members have any practical experience either.

Track record counts in this field. Who has built big things on time and on budget?

Wayne Brown is a business and engineering consultant, former mayor, and chaired the working group that advised Ports of Auckland.