New Zealand needs asset recycling to fund its infrastructure future - Oliver Hartwich

Opinion byDr Oliver HartwichNZ Herald·23 Aug, 2026 05:00 PM6 mins to readDr Oliver Hartwich is the Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative The partial floats of the three power companies and a sell-down of Air New Zealand raised $4.7 billion. Photo / Asia Pacific Aircraft StorageA fortnight ago, the Government agreed a sale worth $702 million.Nicola Willis and Chris Bishop sold the loans the Crown made to Chorus to help build the ultrafast broadband network, for $60m above book value. The money, we were told, will go to the Cambridge to Piarere expressway, hospital