Many of these topics are on-going and will continue to be areas of focus for the Board. In the upcoming year, we would particularly like to see an increased depth of discussions on demand management and also on the future demands on New Zealand infrastructure and the best way to meet these demands. The costs and opportunity cost are so large that not being bold and not having these discussions has a significant consequence. For example, being bold may mean having a national discussion about our future transport requirements and the benefits of a national ports strategy.
The evidence base that the National Infrastructure Unit is due to publish in early 2014 will provide opportunities for these discussions to happen.
We would also expect to see tangible and measurable progress on the infrastructure plans for our two largest cities - Auckland and Christchurch. The costs involved are once in a lifetime investments and we cannot afford to be uncoordinated and making poor decisions.
Members of the National Infrastructure Advisory Board | |
Dr Rod Carr (Chair) is Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canterbury and a former managing director of Jade Software Corporation. Dr Carr Chairs the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Board and has held senior executive roles with the Reserve Bank, BNZ and NAB. Dr Carr is a director of the Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce, Lyttelton Port Company Ltd and Taranaki Investment Management. He is a trustee of the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust. Lindsay Crossen (Deputy Chair) comes from a civil engineering background. He has had an Executive leadership role in engineering infrastructure over the past two decades, both in local government and engineering contracting. He is a Distinguished Fellow of IPENZ and a Fellow of NZIM. Lindsay has been on the Board since 2009 and is a member of the CERA Risk and Audit Committee. He is a Director of Lyttelton Port Company Ltd, NZ Institute of Highway Technology, Crown Irrigation Investment Limited and Chairman of the NZ Board of Engineering Diplomas. Matthew Birch is a Wellington-based consultant who has spent considerable time working in Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney with a focus on foreign exchange, investment lending, corporate and government bond trading, and a wide range of other capital markets services. Margaret Devlin is Chair of Equity Partners Infrastructure Company Ltd (EPIC: a New Zealand-based infrastructure fund), Chair of the Institute of Directors (Waikato Branch), Deputy Chair of WEL Networks Ltd (and Chair of the Audit Committee) and director of City Care Ltd. She has particular involvement with issues relating to water. | Kathryn Edmonds is a Wellington-based former practising barrister and solicitor, and currently holds the position of Environment Commissioner for the Environment Court (first appointed in 2004). Ms Edmonds previously worked for Opus International Consultants. Edward Guy is based in Arrowtown, where he is the founder and Managing Director of the infrastructure consultancy Rationale Ltd. He provides advice over a wide range of Crown, local and privately own infrastructure assets. His core capability sits within the local government, water and transportation sectors. Dr Terence Heiler is an engineer with many years' experience as a consultant and engineering researcher (NZAEI Lincoln College Director). He has management and governance experience including seven years as a director of Landcare Research Ltd. John Rae has been involved in banking in New Zealand and London in various treasury and capital market roles and has a background in private equity, venture capital and corporate finance transactions. Mr Rae is a former Managing Director of the Stevenson Group and is currently Chairman of the New Zealand Council for Infrastructure Development. Previous Board members include Dr Arthur Grimes (2009 - 2011) and Alex Sundakov (2009 - 2013). |