10-year plan to spend $100b

The Dunedin Courthouse refurbishment is on the Government’s plans. Photo: Craig Baxter.

Central and local governments plan to spend $100 billion on infrastructure projects over the next 10 years, the bulk of the money going to New Zealand’s two largest cities, Auckland and Christchurch.

Otago features on the Government list mainly because of the planned upgrade to the Dunedin Courthouse and the rebuilding of the Dunedin Hospital.

The Treasury tables released on Friday by Finance Minister Bill English showed $20 million has been earmarked for the court building and $400 million has been allowed for the hospital.

The Government also planned to spend $20 million on transport in the region and another $20 million on roading. Social spending in the region during the next 10 years has been put at $500 million, which includes the hospital and court projects.

Mr English said the Government’s 2016-25 10-year capital intentions plan (CIP) was the third of its kind and brought together the infrastructure investment intentions of central and local government, state-owned enterprises and public and private companies.

Of the 3823 projects included in the CIP, 219 belonged to central government and were valued at $40.5 billion, 3559 belonged to local government and were valued at $51 billion and 45 projects belonged to the private sector, at a value of $9.2 billion.

In Otago, the majority of local government spending is on water ($500 million), transport ($580 million) and social ($230 million).

Greater Christchurch Regeneration Supporting Minister Gerry Brownlee said Canterbury would continue to benefit for the next decade from major investment by central and local government and the private sector.

The plan signalled the Government’s intentions to spend $3.8 billion in social investment, such as health, education and property projects, in Christchurch.

Total government investment in Canterbury had now reached $5.1 billion.

In Auckland, larger projects included the city rail loop, large-scale wastewater and water supply projects and land acquisition projects for urban development.

Mr English said the total actual and estimated spending to 2025 had increased by nearly $15 billion since last year.

"Publishing this information offers transparency and provides businesses with greater certainty about current and future infrastructure provision."

Central and local government were increasingly working together to improve infrastructure investment and the management of existing infrastructure necessary to underpin economic growth, he said.