7:30

Doors Open

8:30

Conference Opens

8:40

Mihi Whakatau

8:45

Conference Welcome and Housekeeping

8:55

Session 1 | Keynote: Planning for the Communities We’re Becoming

Aotearoa’s communities are changing, and so are the demands we place on the infrastructure that supports them. Population growth, an ageing population, migration, and changing household patterns will reshape demand for housing, healthcare, education, transport and community facilities. This keynote will explore where future growth is expected to occur and what this means for planning and delivering social infrastructure across different communities, considering how we can plan ahead for changing needs.

9:35

Session 2 | Political Address

This session will provide a political perspective on the priorities, challenges and the investment needed to shape the future of social infrastructure, and the role of the government in responding to the needs of a changing population.

10:05

Session 3 | Investing in Community

How can we fund the social infrastructure communities need? This session will explore how to better connect crown funding and private capital, looking at the range of funding and financing models available for community infrastructure.

It will consider how different approaches can share risk, unlock new investment and support projects that might otherwise struggle to get off the ground – and what needs to change to make greater use of these opportunities.

10:45

Morning Tea

11:10

Session 4 | Planning and Investing in Connected Communities

Where we build homes, schools, hospitals, transport and community facilities shapes how communities grow and function. This session will explore the role of spatial planning in coordinating growth and ensuring social infrastructure is planned alongside development and consider how we coordinate investment across agencies to support well-connected, thriving communities.

11:50

Session 5 | Whose Infrastructure? Putting Community Needs at the Heart of Planning

Infrastructure is ultimately built for the communities that use it, but how much influence do communities have over the decisions that shape it? This session will explore what it means to put local voices and lived experience at the heart of infrastructure planning, drawing on a community case study to examine what meaningful engagement looks like in practice. The discussion will consider how understanding local priorities can shape planning and investment decisions, and how stronger community involvement can lead to infrastructure that better reflects local needs, builds trust and delivers lasting social outcomes.

12:30

Lunch

13:20

Session 6 | Workshop Roundtable discussions

This session will feature 20 roundtables exploring four key topics. Each topic will have five tables, with each table discussing a different question.

Topic 1: Understanding the Needs of Tomorrows Communities

Topic 2: Bridging the Public–Private Investment Gap

Topic 3: Creating Certainty in the Social Infrastructure Pipeline

Topic 4: Maximising the Social Value of Infrastructure Investment

14:10

Session 7 | Closing the Gap: What Can Private Investment Deliver?

What can private investment deliver that the public sector struggles to? This session will use a real-world case study to explore how private capital can help close gaps in social infrastructure, and what enables projects to move from identified need to investment and delivery.

The discussion will examine the different incentives, funding models, risk appetites and delivery approaches that can enable private investment in community infrastructure, and ask what lessons could be applied more broadly to help meet growing social infrastructure needs.

14:50

Afternoon Tea

15:15

Session 8 | Beyond the Asset: Building More Equitable Communities

Infrastructure does more than provide a service or connect one place to another – it shapes people’s opportunities, wellbeing and everyday lives. This session will explore how access to transport, water, digital connectivity and other essential infrastructure varies across communities, and what this means for equity and opportunity.

The discussion will consider where infrastructure gaps are most evident, what the data tells us about underserved communities, and how we can better account for the wider social benefits of investment. It will explore how needs analysis, business cases and forward planning can help shift infrastructure investment from reactive responses towards more equitable, connected and resilient communities.

15:55

Roundtable Summary Address

16:15

Session 9 | Looking Ahead: Investing in the Communities of Tomorrow

What would change if we planned for social infrastructure before communities reached breaking point? This session will look ahead at how we can move beyond responding to demand towards investing earlier and more strategically in the infrastructure communities will need in the future.

Drawing on examples of long-term, community-focused investment, the discussion will explore how government, communities, iwi, investors and infrastructure providers can work together to anticipate future needs, make the case for investment ahead of demand, and create better outcomes for communities over the long term.

16:55

Closing remarks

17:00

Conference close

17:00

Networking drinks