Government announces Infrastructure Board

Infrastructure Minister Bill English has announced appointments to the new National Infrastructure Advisory Board.

The board has been set up to provide independent advice to the Infrastructure Minister and to help formulate the first 20-year National Infrastructure Plan, which will be completed by the end of the year.

Members have been chosen on the basis of their individual skills and their collective knowledge of infrastructure planning, investment and asset management methods.

"Today's appointments are another step towards meeting the National Government's commitment to put together a long-term plan that clearly states New Zealand's infrastructure priorities. The plan will identify emerging bottlenecks and investment gaps and ensure the government and taxpayers get the best bang for their infrastructure buck," Mr English said.

The board will also provide advice to the National Infrastructure Unit, which sits within Treasury. A key role will be to engage with the private sector, local government and other stakeholders, about regulatory barriers that are slowing investment and opportunities for partnership.

“As well as advising on new investments it is equally important that the public sector focuses on improving its management of the existing asset base. I'm sure this group will be a rich source of insight as the government implements its plan to improve New Zealand's roads, broadband and electricity supply," Mr English said.

Dr Rod Carr will chair the new board. The other members are Sir Ron Carter, Lindsay Crossen, Dr Arthur Grimes, Dr Terence Heiler, Rob McLeod, John Rae and Alex Sundakov.

The appointment terms of the Board members have been staggered to balance the need for continuity with the occasional need for fresh perspectives or new areas of expertise.

National Infrastructure Advisory Board member profiles

Dr Rod Carr (Chair) is Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canterbury and a former managing director of Jade Software Corporation. Dr Carr was also Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank and has held senior executive roles at the Bank of New Zealand and National Australia Bank. Dr Carr is currently vice-president of the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and is a director of Lyttelton Port Company Ltd and Taranaki Investment Management.

Sir Ron Carter is an experienced consulting civil engineer. He was founding director, chief executive and chair of Beca Group Ltd. Current board positions include Trustpower Ltd, Rugby World Cup 2011 Ltd and Rural Equities Ltd.

Mr Lindsay Crossen was NZ operations manager, then chief executive, for Fulton Hogan New Zealand Group from 1998 to 2008. He is currently a civil engineer with Fulton Hogan and a director of several companies. He is also an executive committee member of Roading NZ.

Dr Arthur Grimes has been a Reserve Bank director since 2002. He is a senior fellow of Motu Economic & Public Policy Research Trust, chairman of Hugo Group, and adjunct Professor, University of Waikato.

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.

Mr Rob McLeod is the managing partner of Ernst & Young New Zealand and has been a specialist tax practitioner for more than 20 years. He is an experienced director and is currently a member of the Taskforce on Maori Economy, the Capital Market Development Taskforce and the independent Ministerial Advisory Panel for the recently announced Defence Review.

Mr John Rae is chairman and managing director of the Stevenson Group. Mr 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 currently chairman of the New Zealand Council for Infrastructure Development.

Mr Alex Sundakov is executive director of Castalia. He is an economist who has worked at the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, the International Monetary Fund, and The Treasury.