Matthew is a Senior 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.
Phone: 04 499 0790
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
In this podcast episode, we explore the state of education in New Zealand, both at the school and university levels. Drawing from our own experiences, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the current education system and the challenges that students face in their pursuit of higher education. Read more
The Super City is saved. The government has unveiled five exciting options for a second harbour crossing, which means that Aucklanders will no longer have to endure bumper-to-bumper traffic and road rage when they cross New Zealand’s most famous bridge. Read more
Much can be learned from the past, both the good and the bad. The Initiative’s upcoming report takes a historical perspective on New Zealand’s infrastructure challenge and offers a roadmap for moving forward. Read more
New Zealand’s resource management system is a contradictory mess. At least, that is the impression you get reading a recent report commissioned by the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission on the cost of climate consenting. Read more
Cyclone Gabrielle has battered New Zealand’s infrastructure. Roads, bridges and powerlines across large swathes of the North Island have been decimated. Read more
Getting things done in New Zealand can be a challenge. Even a simple deck extension can prove a hurdle. Read more
New Zealand is small and relatively young, but it has a rich history that can help us think through today’s problems. Unfortunately, we often ignore the lessons of the past. This historical amnesia has a cost, even if it is difficult to quantify. Read more
FIRST PUBLISHED OCT 31, 2022 Updated Jan 19, 2023 Jacinda Ardern swept to office in 2017 on the back of public anger over New Zealand’s long-simmering housing crisis. Rightly or wrongly, there was a perception that the previous National government had failed to address the problem. Read more
No one likes to spend their precious Saturday morning waiting for the train. But that is exactly what residents of northern Germany were forced to endure in early October, after cables needed to operate the trains were cut. Read more
Another week, another British Prime Minister. Just 44 days into the job, Liz Truss was forced into a humiliating resignation. Read more