Matthew is an Adjunct Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative, focusing on infrastructure and transport policy.
A historian by training, Matthew's writing on the British Empire has been published in the Journal of Global History and Global Intellectual History. He was awarded the Royal Historical Society's prestigious Alexander Prize in 2021 for the best scholarly article based upon original historical research.
Matthew holds an MA (Hons) in International Relations & Modern History from the University of St Andrews, an M.Phil. in Political Thought & Intellectual History from the University of Cambridge and a PhD in history, also from the University of Cambridge.
It is brave to invite an historian to speak at a conference about the future. As the Scottish historian Tom Devine once quipped, the future was not his time period. Read more
Transport policy in New Zealand increasingly resembles an episode of Utopia, the Australian comedy series that lampoons a government agency responsible for large infrastructure projects. In one memorable episode, the hapless bureaucrats in the Nation Building Authority are instructed by a political staffer to investigate the feasibility of a “very fast train” connecting Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane despite reams of evidence suggesting it is a terrible idea. Read more
As the nation prepares to vote on 14 October, the sentiment across New Zealand is one of frustration and concern. Skyrocketing living costs, unaffordable housing, strained healthcare, and a growing educational gap are the voices of a country looking for change. Read more
Another week, another transport policy announcement. On Sunday, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and freshly-minted Transport Minister David Parker released the Government’s preferred option for a second Auckland harbour crossing. Read more
The number of potholes on the country’s highways has more than doubled since 2017. In 2022 alone, more than 54,000 needed urgent repair. Read more
New Zealand’s roads are in the political headlights, as opposing camps clash over the delicate balance between road safety and road efficiency – think of it as the policy equivalent of Ford vs Holden. Advocates of greater efficiency point out that potholes have turned our state highway network into a lunar landscape, a phenomenon I had the opportunity to acquaint myself intimately with during a road trip to Gisborne over Matariki. Read more
While it is easy to lament the current state of New Zealand’s infrastructure, it is important to remind ourselves that we were once builders. On Wednesday, we launched a new report, Paving the Way: Learning from New Zealand’s Past to Build a Better Future. Read more
A new report into our infrastructure is highlighting New Zealand's over-reliance on public debt to fund our infrastructure deficit - which currently is at $210 billion. It warns of two issues - government being too involved in deciding what infrastructure should be built where, and borrowing excessively to fund new infrastructure. Read more
Infrastructure is high on the agenda this election year. And why wouldn’t it be? Read more
Webinar: Learning from New Zealand's past to build a better future Join us for a webinar as we launch “Paving The Way: Learning from New Zealand’s Past to Build a Better Future.” Everyone is talking about New Zealand's infrastructure deficit. But few people know how successful we once were at delivering big-ticket items like roads, rails and bridges. Read more
NZ Initiative report champions private sector involvement, localism, and a positive attitude to development. NZ Initiative author Matthew Birchall speaks with Brent Edwards. Read more
Wellington (Wednesday, 14 June 2023) – The New Zealand Initiative is set to release a stimulating report this Wednesday, shedding new light on New Zealand’s infrastructure history and providing crucial insights for the future. Authored by Dr Matthew Birchall, Paving the Way: Learning from New Zealand’s Past to Build a Better Future explores the country’s triumphant infrastructure projects of the past and presents a compelling case for replicating those successes. Read more
Good infrastructure is essential for modern life. Just think about your day. Read more
I used to think that the future of work consisted of people talking about the future of work, and then I discovered ChatGPT. Many readers will be familiar with it. Read more
Wellington boasts three things in abundance: great coffee, civil servants, and wind. But it seems that the city council forgot to factor in the latter when designing its street lamps. Read more