28 May 2026
The Government has released Budget 2026, setting out spending priorities for the year ahead. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has been clear this is a modest budget for constrained times and there are “no rabbits to pull out of the hat”. However, there is still a lot in the Budget that affects your profession.
Top takeaways:
- $7 billion capital infrastructure investment for hospitals, schools, roads, rail, defence capability and social housing. The Government says this will build more reliable public infrastructure and support thousands of jobs in trades and construction.
- Funding to improve resilience including $400 million to help keep state highways open after severe weather events and $9.7 million for emergency management modern technology systems.
- A new $400 million fund that provides an incentive for councils to enable housing growth, and a means of covering some of the costs that fall on them as a result.
- $294 million towards the rollout of the new planning and environmental management system. The Government anticipates its Resource Management Act reform will provide better information about natural hazard risks, as well as faster and more consistent planning decisions.
- Funding for more young people to participate in industry-led, vocational pathways including $15 million towards Industry Skills Boards and $69 million to nearly double the number of places in Trades Academies.
- A Gas Transition Loan Guarantee Scheme, expected to make up to $1.2 billion of bank loans available to businesses to eliminate or reduce their dependency on gas. The Government expects this will help businesses to decarbonise, while protecting jobs through the energy transition.
- A $400 million rainy day fuel crises fund for additional temporary targeted support if conditions worsen.
Now that the Budget has been released, political parties have more information to form their policies ahead of the General Election in November. Engineering New Zealand will be advocating for your profession to influence the changes you want to see.
Join us on Thursday 6 August for our election debate on infrastructure. Hear direct from ACT leader David Seymour, Greens co-leader Chloe Swarbrick, Labour leader Chris Hipkins, National’s infrastructure spokesman Chris Bishop and New Zealand First deputy leader Shane Jones about their plans for our infrastructure crunch.
Engineering New Zealand Chief Executive Richard Templer is also hosting a series of election‑year chats with representatives from across the political spectrum about how their parties’ plans affect engineering.
Videos of the conversations will be recorded and uploaded on our website.
