John Laing Group (“John Laing”), a leading international investor and active manager of infrastructure projects, has acquired a portfolio of three operational brownfield public-private partnership (PPP) assets in Australia and New Zealand from global infrastructure investor, Morrison’s Public Infrastructure Partners (PIP) portfolio.
The acquisition comprises of the following projects that enable John Laing to scale its PPP portfolio with long-term availability-based contracts alongside strong government counterparties:
38.3% stake in Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth (“NX2”), One of New Zealand’s largest PPP projects that improves safety, connectivity and resilience for users and reduces travel times across its 18.5 kilometre alignment north of Auckland. Acquisition completion was reached on 23 December 2025.
49.9% stakes in each of Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (“MCEC”) and Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Expansion (“MCECE”), together the leading destination for business tourism and events in Australia set across a 70,000 square metre facility. Acquisition completion was reached on 12 February 2026.
This acquisition marks a significant expansion of John Laing’s footprint in the Asia-Pacific region and reaffirms its long-term commitment to investing in core infrastructure.
John Laing is uniquely positioned to support the lifecycle of these operational assets that will deliver measurable user and societal value to the millions of people who use the assets each year. John Laing brings extensive global PPP experience across transport and social infrastructure, including world-renowned conference facilities such as The Convention Centre Dublin (CCD).
The transaction also marks John Laing’s re-entry into the New Zealand PPP sector and further expands its PPP footprint in Australia, where John Laing already holds long-term investments in the State of Victoria’s North East Link and Melbourne Metro Tunnels and Stations in addition to other projects in Australia such as the Sydney Light Rail and New Generation Rollingstock.
Andrew Truscott, Chief Executive Office of John Laing, said “This acquisition will grow and further diversify our portfolio across the Asia-Pacific region. These assets are critical to the communities they serve and underscore our long-term commitment to investing in infrastructure that delivers public value. We are excited to be re-entering New Zealand PPPs and deepening our presence in the State of Victoria and across nationally significant PPP infrastructure in Australia.”
Andy Haining, Managing Director and Co-Head of APAC at John Laing, added “We are delighted to add these high-quality PPP assets to our portfolio. They align with our strategic focus to invest in core infrastructure and demonstrate our ability to undertake complex transactions with trusted partners. This deal reinforces our confidence in our infrastructure pipeline and our long-term outlook across the region.”
For more information, visit www.laing.com
