Vincente Valencia

Vincente Valencia, known as "The PPP Guy," brings almost 20 years of international PPP experience to a conversation that quickly moves beyond delivery methods to NZ's fundamental infrastructure problem: the absence of a national vision. Using Spain as the primary example, where a single decision that Madrid should reach every point by high-speed train produced the world's 2nd largest high-speed rail network (after China) over 20-30 years, Vincente argues that NZ's Infrastructure Commission pipeline is just "a recollection of projects" with no corridors, no story, and no connecting thread. He declares NX2 a success and explains PPPs as simply "a mortgage on a house," but insists the delivery method debate (PPP vs alliance vs traditional) is secondary to answering "what do we want to be as a country?" His core message: you cannot change a vision every three years.

Key Topics Discussed

• PPP explained. "a mortgage on a house": fund, build, operate for the concession period, then return the asset to government
• NZ PPP track record. approximately 11 PPPs (Hobsonville Point School, NX2, Transmission Gully, prisons, schools); NX2 declared successful
• NZ has NO VISION for infrastructure. just a collection of disconnected projects
• Spain high-speed rail. decided Madrid should reach every point by high-speed train; 20-30 years later, the 2nd largest high-speed rail network in the world (only after China). Not Canada, not Australia, not US, not Germany
• Spain desalination. 20-year water infrastructure vision for southern agriculture and tourism
• Infrastructure Commission pipeline critique. "a recollection of projects": "a road of 5km, another of 30, a bridge, a building" with no corridors or story
• "You cannot change a vision every three years"
• Delivery method is secondary to having a vision first, PPPs not a silver bullet, just a delivery method suited for large projects
• Auckland road network. triangles vs Madrid's M30/M40/M45/M50 ring roads (circles)
• References Cameron Luxton and Chris Penk by name

Notable Quotes

"You cannot change a vision every three years"

The Infrastructure Commission pipeline is "a recollection of projects", "a road of 5km, another of 30, a bridge, a building"

PPP is like "a mortgage on a house", fund it, build it, operate it for the concession period, return it to government

Spain built the 2nd largest high-speed rail network in the world, not Canada, not Australia, not US, not Germany

Guest Background

Vincente Valencia is a civil engineer known as "The PPP Guy," with almost 20 years of PPP experience across Spain, Greece, Canada, the US, and South America. He arrived in NZ around 2018 and spent six years leading the NX2 motorway PPP project. He now calls NZ home.