Editorial

What a year it’s been. In no time at all 2008 has nearly passed and with it we’ve moved from relative economic security to an acceptance of global economic strife that will impact upon New Zealand in the coming year.

Infrastructure spending and insecurity for the construction industry are of paramount concern right now and they will be issues that the new National Government will need to attend to sooner, rather than later. The appointment of Bill English as Minister of Infrastructure certainly sends positive signs that the Government’s attention is on track but the proof will be in sustained planning and budgeting with cooperation from construction and contracting bodies.

The recent announcement that the Auckland City Council will substantially reduce its budget for infrastructure spending for the next ten years may please ratepayers but will do little to allay the fears that our largest city is in need of cohesive direction and management. One can only hope that central government will pick up the shortfall because stormwater projects, for instance, cannot be left aside as Auckland continues to grow.

If we are true to our convictions then we have to ensure our cities are supplied with the best infrastructure solutions rather than stop gap efforts that will only prove more costly in the long term.

I hope you enjoy this last issue of New Zealand Construction News for 2008 and I wish all of you the best for the upcoming Christmas holidays and the hopefully long summer! It’s been an exciting year for us and we’ve been glad to report the latest news, developments and opinions and we’re looking forward to another year of it in 2009.

I’d also like to thank all of our contributors and advertisers for supporting the magazine and keeping us informed of projects and issues in the industry.

Steve Best, editor