Transport, Water and Utilities Infrastructure

New Zealand’s transport, water and utilities sector underpins economic activity across the country and is critical to community wellbeing through the delivery of essential infrastructure and services.

This sector encompasses:

land, air and maritime transport systems;
drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services;
electricity and telecommunications networks; and
gas, fuel and other network utility systems.

Population growth, increasing electrification, climate change, emerging technologies and ageing infrastructure are driving significant investment across these systems. At the same time, the sector is undergoing substantial regulatory reform and institutional change, particularly in transport planning and funding, electricity market development and resilience, and there structuring of water services.

Government initiatives to streamline infrastructure delivery, improve network resilience and support long-term planning are reshaping how projects are prioritised, consented and delivered. Programmes such as fast-track consenting processes for major infrastructure, reforms to water service delivery, and evolving frameworks for transport and energy investment are all contributing to a more integrated and responsive infrastructure system.

As pressures on the sector continue to grow, the successful delivery of projects, effective management of infrastructure across its lifecycle, and the implementation of coherent regulatory frameworks will be critical to supporting resilient communities and sustainable economic growth throughout New Zealand.

Our work in this sector

Experience highlights

Assisting a VINCI/John Laing-led SPV on its bid for Stage 1 of the broader Northland Corridor /Northland Expressway, procured by way of PPP.
Advising the Contractor Other Alliance Participants and the Designer Other Alliance Participants on City Rail Link, New Zealand’s largest transport infrastructure project.
Working with Align Limited to acquire land for NZTA for various new state highway projects throughout the country.
Acting for Watercare on major water and wastewater infrastructure.
Acting for Northern Express Group on Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth under a Public Private Partnership contract.
Acting for a contractor on a road of national significance in the central north island.
Advising in respect of various aspects of contracting, project delivery and dispute resolution in respect of the Transmission Gully PPP, Wellington.
Acting as independent advisor to the gas industry co-regulator, Gas Industry Company Limited.
Acting for Transpower on new and upgraded transmission lines and on new connections to the national grid.