List of shovel-ready projects to be revealed by end of next week, Finance Minister says

August 2, 2020

The Finance Minister told TVNZ1's Q+A details will be released within a week.

The list of shovel-ready projects getting a funding boost from the Government will be revealed by the end of next week, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says.

Around $3 billion in funding has been allocated to various infrastructure and construction projects around the country, including a $500 million buffer.

Details of around $1.6 billion worth have been announced, but remain scarce around the rest of the funding.

Today Mr Robertson confirmed the rest of the list should be revealed within the next week.

"Relatively speaking, compared to how we approve projects normally, we’re moving very quickly," he told TVNZ1's Q+A. 

"We’re working with the sector, and we’ll have the vast bulk of those projects announced by the end of next week."

Last month, the National Party announced it was lodging a request under the Official Information Act to force the Government to release the list of funded projects.

The construction industry has also expressed its frustration.

"We know the work is out there, but unless we know where, what, and, most importantly, when projects will start, contractors are left totally in the dark," Civil Contractors NZ chief executive Peter Silcock says. 

"They will have no choice but to put workers off or face the risk of companies going under."

Grant Robertson says the June quarter is forecast to be the worst of the economic impacts.

Mr Robertson says there's a "good pipeline of work" for the industry.

"This $3 billion, or $2.6 billion, of shovel-ready projects adds on to that," he says.

"But there’s an absolute recognition here. Local government, central government, private sector have got to work together here to make sure we’re giving some certainty for the construction industry. That’s what we’re doing."

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