Show Notes
Fresh off the plane from Infrastructure New Zealand’s delegation to Sweden and Norway, Hamish is buzzing with ideas. In this episode, he joins Sam to unpack what New Zealand can learn about the Nordic approach to infrastructure funding, including tax settings, user-pays models, and the balance between local and central government. He also dives into the role of consensus in decision-making, the realities of cost escalation and overruns, and why even the biggest mega projects can fail. He shares insights from visiting major infrastructure projects first-hand, explores how these systems power themselves, and discusses the rise of datacentres – including why New Zealand may be uniquely well placed to become a serious player in this space.
More from The Special Conditions
This week, Sam and Hamish discuss personal liability in construction cases, using the new case of DTB Construction Ltd v Dobbe (2026) to illustrate the key principles. They explore liability in tort, when a duty of care may arise, and what this decision means for those involved in construction disputes.
This week, we’re joined by John Green, one of New Zealand’s leading dispute resolution experts, who works on major building, construction and infrastructure disputes and brings more than 35 years’ experience to the field. With appointments in over 1,370 disputes, John is widely respected for his expertise as an arbitrator, adjudicator andmediator. He has also played a significant role in shaping the industry, including as founder of the Building Disputes Tribunal and the New Zealand Dispute Resolution Centre. In this episode, we discuss John’s career in dispute resolution, what makes a strong claim and response, and what happens after the determination.
How do Olympic venues keep opening on time when so many major projects run late? This episode examines the answer: fixed deadlines, tight scope control, fast decision-making and collaborative delivery models. We also look at Brisbane’s 2032 venue programme and ask what New Zealand can borrow from the Olympic playbook.
AI is evolving rapidly, and the conversation has already moved well beyond generative tools. Terms like “vibe coding” are entering the mainstream, while the prospect of superintelligent systems is no longer confined to science fiction. In this episode, Hamish is joined by Chapman Tripp’s Chief Digital Officer, Sean Bishop, to explore what is changing, what these developments mean in practice, and how increasingly capable AI may shape the way we work and live.
Hamish and Sam debrief after The Chapman Tripp and Deloitte Election Conference, hosted by BusinessNZ, which brought together senior politicians from across the political spectrum. They discuss the key themes at the conference and explore results from the accompanying Election Survey capturing priorities for New Zealand's future. Key topics include infrastructure and energy, tax policy, superannuation and the ongoing economic challenges – revealing where New Zealand's political and business communities align, and where they diverge.