1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,120 Speaker 1: We alluded to it Monday with the Prime Minister. But 2 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:05,440 Speaker 1: your regional deal winners are Auckland to target in the 3 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: Western Bay. Are plenty partnerships. This is between central and 4 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: local government to turbo charge of the economy. So how 5 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 1: does it work? Chris Bishop, Infrastructure, Minister of Courses back 6 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: with us on the program morning, Good morning. How many 7 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: applications did you get? 8 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,760 Speaker 2: Eighteen? We received eighteen light touch proposals. They were sort 9 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:25,960 Speaker 2: of indicative proposals from around the country. Not everyone wanted 10 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 2: to participate, so Wellington, for example, as was reported, didn't 11 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 2: submit one. 12 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: Okay, So are these standouts or were they all good 13 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 1: and you could have done business with all of them potentially? 14 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:40,919 Speaker 3: I mean, ultimately they're all They're all good in their 15 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 3: own ways. 16 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:44,239 Speaker 2: These were the three that best met the alignment with 17 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 2: the government around our kind of shared vision for closing 18 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:50,480 Speaker 2: that infrastructure gap and you know, delivering productivity enhartcing infrastructure 19 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 2: for the future, around spatial planning and things like that. 20 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 3: So these are the kind of the ones that stood out. 21 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 2: And look, you know, frankly, from a realistic point of view, 22 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 2: we need Auckland to succeed right for the country. You know, 23 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 2: and appreciate the people out there listening and not from Auckland. 24 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 2: And we'll say, well, yeah, yeah, Auckland or Auckland, but 25 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,680 Speaker 2: Auckland's our biggest city, it's our big international city. It's 26 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 2: a major driver of growth and productivity in the country. 27 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 2: And so aligning central government direction with Auckland, with Mayor 28 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 2: Wayne Brown and the council around housing, around you know, 29 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 2: when I've been on the show talking about rapid transit 30 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:24,319 Speaker 2: and the city railak and you know, up zoning land 31 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 2: or for housing. He's very keen on innovation precincts being 32 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:30,279 Speaker 2: based there. There's a lot we can do there in Auckland. 33 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:31,039 Speaker 2: So I'm really excited. 34 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:33,680 Speaker 1: But how does it Dubtor? Is this a power grab 35 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 1: by you guys? Because I look back to the christ 36 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 1: You scrap your head and they pleaded with you for 37 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:40,399 Speaker 1: years and spent millions and wasted their time and you said, no, 38 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:42,319 Speaker 1: thank you. How much of this is about you doing 39 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:44,319 Speaker 1: what you want versus them doing what they want? 40 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 2: I think it's the better way to put it. I 41 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 2: reckon is about alignment. So we've said some of course 42 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 2: adjectives for us, Well, we've set some clear objectives for 43 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 2: us right, which is that we've got a clear agenda 44 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 2: around resource management reform, actually quite supported by local councils 45 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 2: to be honest, because everyone knows the status quo is unsustainable. 46 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 2: So resource management reform, we've got the three waters changes 47 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:09,399 Speaker 2: we're making around local water done well. We want councils 48 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 2: to use new tools for funding and financing, so things 49 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 2: like infrastructure funding and financing levies off balance sheet borrowing. 50 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 2: We're also quite keen that they engage some asset recycling 51 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:22,239 Speaker 2: from their own assets. Often local councils have assets on 52 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 2: their balance sheet that frankly our viewers could be redeployed 53 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:27,359 Speaker 2: to better uses. So part of the regional deal frame 54 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 2: work will be discussions around that. 55 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 3: And you've seen Wayne brownder that in. 56 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 2: Auckland for example, selling down the the state in Auckland. 57 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 3: The airport and a bit controversial for a while, but 58 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 3: actually it's. 59 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,679 Speaker 1: Been will there be crunchy as stuff because I'm reading 60 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:40,799 Speaker 1: yesterday it sounds like lux and wrote the thing it's 61 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 1: all it's all. I mean, it's all fields and touches 62 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: and we want a bit of this and a bit 63 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 1: of that, and has been and it's going to be fantastic. 64 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 1: Is there something crunchy coming that we can get our 65 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 1: heads around numbers, data, time frames? 66 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 3: KPIs, well, yeah, that's all to come. 67 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 2: So I think it will get crunchy once we work, 68 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 2: you know, with the rubber hits the road on what 69 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 2: councils are up for doing. And as I say, we're 70 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 2: nonsmess recycling on improving their you know, their investment in 71 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 2: local infrastructure that supports growth, because that's ultimately what this 72 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 2: is all about. So we're coming at it from central 73 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 2: government around growth and that's this government's driving ambition, as 74 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 2: you know, is how do we improve productivity and get 75 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 2: growth going. So there is some of the proposals that 76 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 2: that came in and they were all pretty good up 77 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 2: their own way. But some of them came in and 78 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 2: they were they were to usual language, but touchy feely, 79 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 2: sort of like, oh, let's all sit down and comboy 80 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 2: are and have a you know, have a have a 81 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:31,280 Speaker 2: whoey and all the rest of it. 82 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 1: We don't want any Well, well. 83 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 2: We're up for meetings. We're up for meetings as long 84 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 2: as they lead to productive outcomes. And I'm not a 85 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 2: guy who sits around and you know, I don't go 86 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 2: into meetings to share spiders. We're there to actually get 87 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 2: stuff done for the country, right. 88 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: Good stuff, And you don't want to be in a 89 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: meeting shagging spiders. 90 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 3: Quote of the day, that's right. 91 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: You know you don't. For more from the Make Asking Breakfast, 92 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 1: listen live to news talks there'd be from six am weekdays, 93 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.