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'We can't buy our way out ' Chris Bishop on infrastructure funding and user-pays (www.rnz.co.nz)

submitted 5 months ago by Dave to c/politics

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The infrastructure minister wants more private sector financing, such as public-private partnerships (PPPs), to pay for major projects.

In a speech to Local government New Zealand on Thursday night, Chris Bishop said he wanted government grant funding to become a last resort for councils.

"Infrastructure has to be paid for and at the moment, it's largely paid for by the Crown - which is taxpayers - or it's paid for by ratepayers. And what we're saying is that user-pays has a role to play here as well. Things like water metres, things like congestion pricing in our major cities and things like toll roads.

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[–] Dave 3 points 5 months ago

I would argue that if you put a toll on an existing road you are charging people twice, but not if its on a new one. It’s a great thing for things like the northern expressway.

Yes I guess that's true to some extent. But I don't really get why we need three separate user pays systems.

My big thing is why even get private involved? If there’s profit to be made keep it - country’s running out of money and productive assets, use it.

Because the parties have nothing to gain from making the country money, but there may be some nice donations coming their way if they make money for some private companies.