Road freight peak body Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is welcoming the Government’s announcement that work on a four-lane expressway between Auckland to Whangarei will be accelerated.

This will involve three separate Roads of National Significance being treated as three stages of the same Northland Expressway project, delivered through a progressive public private partnership model that will deliver significant efficiencies and innovative design and construction.

The Government expects that this accelerated approach will deliver the project up to 10 years faster. Cabinet will consider an investment case later in the year.

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand interim chief executive Dom Kalasih, says that roading improvements in Northland are long overdue, with the current state of the highway network acting as a significant barrier to economic growth in the region.

"A more resilient, safer and efficient connection between Northland and Auckland will unlock billions of dollars in economic potential, providing benefits not only to Northland but the wider country. It will also resolve the persistent and disruptive closures to SH1 over the Brynderwyn Hills, that have resulted in delays, frustration and safety concerns for our road freight members and other road users."

"The case for such substantial investment was clearly set out by the Northland Expressway NZIER report to the Northland Corporate Group released back in April, that Transporting New Zealand and Infrastructure New Zealand thoroughly endorsed."

"A Northland Expressway can boost national GDP by $1.2 billion per year by 2050, so an accelerated approach is a fantastic outcome. This is the kind of bold investment we need for our transport network and economy."

Kalasih is also welcoming the Government’s announcement of a public private partnership model to deliver the Northland Expressway, but says Transporting New Zealand will be keeping a close eye on the details.

"The Northland Expressway will be one of the largest infrastructure projects in our history, so it’s a great opportunity to ensure it benefits from innovative thinking and efficiencies from private sector partners."

"With careful implementation and management, a progressive private public partnership model can deliver the Expressway faster and more cheaply than conventional approaches."

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