MCERT announcement: what could it mean for our urban environments?

Last week the Government announced the establishment of a new Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT). Our response, about time!

TUA’s definition of Urban Strategy, coined 10 years ago, positions the discipline as the connector and steward: “linking the dots” across siloed actors, building the assets for decision-making, and putting in place the partnerships and agreements that turn vision into delivery. Integration of ministries should be a structural enabler of this approach - it should finally create the conditions for systems thinking to operate in practice.

Obviously, the devil is in the details. If delivered effectively, with strong leadership, the integration of ministries should enable a  systems-thinking approach by shifting the urban development system from fragmented, short-term, project-based activity to a coordinated, outcomes-driven model that can genuinely deliver intergenerational value. This place‑based approach needs to be anchored in Te Tiriti, consider mana whenua priorities, prioritise healthy housing, equitable access, economic inclusion as well as growth, cultural wellbeing, climate resilience, and mode shift.

This alignment unlocks braided funding across portfolios, allowing transport, housing, health, education, public realm, and social infrastructure investments to work together rather than compete, capturing the multi-sector co‑benefits that conventional budgeting obscures. Integrated governance structures, such as precinct delivery boards, provide the feedback loops and decision-making forums needed to rebalance trade-offs and keep complex programs on course, while shared data systems allow agencies to observe the system in real time and adapt sequencing, typologies, and enabling works based on actual outcomes rather than assumptions. 

If, delivered effectively, this alignment will simplify and improve urban development in three main ways:

• Coordinated Investment: It enables "braided funding," meaning investments in different sectors (like transport, housing, health, and education) work together instead of competing, which captures shared benefits that old budgeting methods missed.
• Integrated Governance: New governing bodies (for example, precinct delivery boards) could  be set up to ensure better decision-making and continuous feedback, helping complex programs stay on track and balance competing priorities.
• Adaptive Delivery: Agencies can use shared data systems to observe progress in real-time, allowing them to adjust plans and timing based on actual results rather than just relying on initial assumptions.

We’re excited to see if the New Zealand Housing Survey data can play a pivotal role in informing better decision making within the new ministry as it develops. We’re equally energised by the opportunity to contribute to meaningful reform and to help our local government clients make the most of this new ministry and its fresh approach to collaboration and delivery.

If you’re exploring how these changes could shape your planning, strategy, or housing priorities, get in touch - we’d love to help you navigate what’s next.