1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:01,800 Speaker 1: We're not getting bang for our buck when it comes 2 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:04,040 Speaker 1: to spending on infrastructure. I mean, tell us something we 3 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: don't know. This is according to the Infrastructure Commission's first 4 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: draft for the first National Infrastructure Plan. It reckons we're 5 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,279 Speaker 1: spending and the spending we are doing at the moment 6 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:19,080 Speaker 1: puts US in the top ten percent of developed countries, 7 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:21,159 Speaker 1: but what we're getting for it puts US in the 8 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 1: bottom ten percent. Nick Leggett is Infrastructure New Zealand CEO 9 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: with us this morning. Hey Nick, Hi, Ryan, are you 10 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: getting sick of hearing reports and list of things we 11 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 1: need to be doing? I mean, why don't we just 12 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: do something? 13 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:36,840 Speaker 2: I think that is a bloody good point, Brian. Look, 14 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 2: this is a good report. There's a lot in here 15 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 2: and what we've got to do is act on it, 16 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 2: as you say, because if plans and reports were the answer, 17 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 2: New Zealand would have solved all its problems. Right, we 18 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,520 Speaker 2: have to as a as a nation, I think, grab 19 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 2: the ball by the horns. You know, we don't look 20 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 2: after what we've got and you know we will often 21 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 2: talk about infrastructure New Zealand infrastructure deficit. Not this report 22 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 2: plainly points out is that the majority of that deficit 23 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 2: is actually with the assets that we have that we 24 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 2: already own and that we don't look after, and we 25 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 2: don't invest in their maintenance and renewals. And you know, 26 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 2: I think New Zealanders know that because they fell in 27 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:21,680 Speaker 2: roads and rail and water and schools and hospitals. The 28 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:27,959 Speaker 2: plan also notes quite prominently that big parts of government 29 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:31,119 Speaker 2: don't actually even have a record of what they own, 30 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 2: and therefore they don't have a plan about how they're 31 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 2: going to maintain it. So we build stuff, we're very 32 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 2: good at that, and then we don't fix up. And 33 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 2: then then then you go to the questions, well what 34 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 2: do you do about all this? To be conscious? 35 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: Do we not build stuff? 36 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 3: Then? 37 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 1: I mean, do we just stick with what we've got 38 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: and fix it up? 39 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 2: Well, that's a big there's a big part. That's a 40 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 2: big part of it. I think it's we're always onto 41 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 2: the next thing, right, which is not bad, but if 42 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 2: you want to get the best value out of what 43 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 2: you build, maintaining it is a good start. So we're 44 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 2: not good at that. And part of it is because 45 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 2: we just lack of focus and we move on to 46 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 2: the next thing. So we've got to change that and 47 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 2: we've got to get into asset management planning, which is 48 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 2: a term that obviously those people that do assets are 49 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 2: interested in. Most of us don't know what that means, 50 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 2: but it is about knowing what you own, investing in it, 51 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 2: and then putting the money aside and not spending the 52 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 2: money because it is what we do. We raid the 53 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 2: piggy bank every time something comes along it's more exciting, 54 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,640 Speaker 2: and we spend it on that. We don't spend it 55 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:40,520 Speaker 2: back on the assets that you often can't see. A 56 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 2: big part of what the country's got to do is 57 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 2: get beyond political cycles and build the system that supports infrastructure, 58 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 2: you know, planning it, making the decisions, sticking to the decision. 59 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 2: What we do very well is, you know, there's an election, 60 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 2: there's a change of government, and everything stops or gets canceled. 61 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:01,839 Speaker 2: But the money that we spend on stuff that never 62 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 2: happens costs us dearly. You talk about that bottom we 63 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 2: get the bottom ten percent of value in the OECD. 64 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 2: A big part of it, not all of it, is 65 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:12,799 Speaker 2: because we don't stick to things, and so we do 66 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:16,079 Speaker 2: have to build more cross party support for the system 67 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 2: and the plan into the future. About what we've got 68 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:19,799 Speaker 2: to stick. 69 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 3: To that, and we've been saying honestly, like I appreciate 70 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 3: what you're saying and for you coming on the show, 71 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:29,679 Speaker 3: but honestly, I feel like I've heard this a thousand times. 72 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: You know, Yeah, but you know where the change A 73 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 1: thousand times? 74 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 2: I know? But do you know? But Ryan, you know 75 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 2: where the change is. It's not with politicians, although they 76 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 2: do have to change. It's us as members of the 77 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 2: public citizens demanding that politicians behave differently and that we 78 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 2: build a proper system and we take a much more 79 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 2: long term view about what we own and what we 80 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 2: need to build and how we get how we get. 81 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 1: There, Nick, appreciate your time this morning. Thank you for 82 00:03:56,040 --> 00:04:00,040 Speaker 1: coming on. Nick Leggett. Infrastructure New Zealand Chief Executive be Moore. 83 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 2: Early Edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live to News Talks 84 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 2: it Be from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast 85 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 2: on iHeartRadio.