Infrastructure report: Vision for the future

Simon Mackenzie and Peter Reidy are among the speakers at the NZCID symposium.

New Zealand's globally significant mega-infrastructure projects will be in the spotlight at the NZCID's Building Nations symposium, which gets under way at the Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland this morning.

The two-day symposium will be opened by Prime Minister John Key, and, with the general election pending in a month's time, is sure to provoke plenty of debate over the future direction of infrastructure investment in New Zealand and discuss the priorities and challenges for the incoming government.

From the $40 billion Christchurch rebuild, the $4 billion Auckland Harbour Crossing, the $3 billion plus City Rail Link, waterfront and CBD development, the $10 billion Roads of National Significance, to the KiwiRail turnaround plan and regional water irrigation schemes, these nation building mega-projects will shape New Zealand's development for decades.

But what is the vision for these projects? What does success look like and how should we measure it? Focusing on "Mega Projects: From Vision to Reality", the symposium will challenge how we think about infrastructure investment in New Zealand and ask are we progressing projects or building a nation?

The symposium will aim to address these questions. It is the premier event on the infrastructure calendar and provides an opportunity for the public and private sector to come together to progress thinking and advance best practice in national infrastructure development.

Among the keynote speakers are Sir John Armitt, the chairman of the London authority charged with building the venues, facilities and infrastructure for the Olympic Games in 2012.

Other prime speakers include Vector CEO Simon Mackenzie on Smart Cities technology and intelligent networks, and KiwiRail's Peter Reidy on the revitalisation of the national rail network.

The council promotes best practice in national infrastructure development through research, advocacy and public and private sector collaboration. NZCID members come from diverse sectors across New Zealand -- equity owners, service providers, public sector agencies, and major infrastructure users.