Hon Simeon Brown
Minister of Transport

The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.

“For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections between Northland and the rest of the country has been a handbrake on the region’s economic development. The last Government’s decision to stop planning for a replacement to the Brynderwyns has left Northland more vulnerable and requires a significant amount of work to get this project back on track,” Mr Brown says.

The Government has agreed in principle to an accelerated delivery strategy that will enable the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to move at pace and deliver the Northland Roads of National Significance as a single expressway between Auckland and Whangārei.

“As part of the National-NZ First coalition agreement, our Government is committed to delivering new Roads of National Significance for Northland. Delivering a programme as large and complex as this at pace requires a significant shift in delivery approach.

“An accelerated delivery strategy developed by NZTA includes a progressive public private partnership model that will achieve efficiencies and innovation in planning, procurement, design and construction across the entire roading corridor between Auckland and Whangārei. It will do this by treating the three Roads of National Significance as three stages of the same project, and incentivising the development partner to deliver excellence in design, construction, financing, maintenance, and operation for each phase of the expressway.

“Taking a corridor approach means NZTA will avoid multiple procurement processes. It will also deliver integrated design, construction, maintenance and operations across the entire Northland Expressway, and allow greater efficiencies through scale to deliver the project up to 10 years faster than traditional approaches.

“The Government will also be considering legislation changes that could accelerate delivery and provide increased certainty for delivery partners. Options being considered include changes to the Public Works Act to speed up delivery.

“The Northland Expressway is one of the largest infrastructure projects in New Zealand’s history. We are considering a wide range of funding, financing, and delivery tools to get this project completed as soon as possible.”

Last year, a report by NZIER commissioned by the Northland Corporate Group found that the Warkworth to Wellsford section of the expressway alone would increase New Zealand’s annual GDP by $497 million.

“Once completed, the Northland Expressway will provide a modern, reliable, and efficient link between Northland and Auckland, unlocking economic growth and productivity by moving people and freight quickly and safely across the region,” Mr Brown says.

Notes:

• The Northland Expressway is one of the 17 Roads of National Significance which were recently highlighted as a priority in the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS).
• The Northland Expressway will include three phases

· Phase One: Warkworth to Te Hana (Te Hana is just north of Wellsford)

· Phase Two: Te Hana to Port Marsden (Alternative to the Brynderwyn Hills)

· Phase Three: Port Marsden to Whangārei.

• A progressive PPP means that NZTA can treat the three Northland Roads of National Significance as one project with three stages. This front-loads design and development and provides the market certainty.
• Indicative costs of the project are being determined as part of a detailed business case which is being developed and will be confirmed between the Treasury, NZTA, and Ministry of Transport. This will refine cost estimates, risks and outline the approach to funding including how different funding tools and sources will be used.
• An investment case will be reported back to Cabinet for approval later this year.

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