Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced the government will accelerate work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei, including over the Brynderwyns.
Photo: NZME / Michael Cunningham

The government’s announcement that it will accelerate work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme will be “a game-changer” for Northland.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown said on Tuesday that plans were under way to accelerate an alternative route over the notoriously fragile Brynderwyn Hills, which are closed increasingly frequently due to bad weather.

“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,” Brown said.

“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.”

AA Northland District Council chairwoman Tracey Rissetto said the news was “fantastic”.

“It’s a game-changer for Northland.

“You look at what a game-changer it’s been for Hamilton.

“It’ll release the capacity we have up here to get people and goods to the rest of New Zealand.

“People will have more certainty about investing up here as well.”

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

“Delivering a programme as large and complex as this at pace requires a significant shift in delivery approach.”

Brown said this would be done 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.

The Northland Expressway’s three phases are:

• Phase One: Warkworth to Te Hana (just north of Wellsford)
• Phase Two: Te Hana to Port Marsden (alternative to the Brynderwyn Hills)
• Phase Three: Port Marsden to Whangārei.

The government will also consider legislation changes that could accelerate delivery and provide increased certainty for delivery partners, Brown said.

This could also mean changes to the Public Works Act to speed up delivery.

The road over the Brynderwyns has been repeatedly closed during the last 18 months due to bad weather and slips.
Photo: Supplied / NZTA

“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.”

Northland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Darryn Fisher said the announcement “is a good start”.

“Obviously what Northlanders want to hear is when.

“What we’ve seen on bridge projects, the delivery timeframes are huge so a start time is really important.”

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

Northland Corporate Group spokesman Lindsay Faithful said though they’ll be “looking for timelines and processes, overall the message seems to be excellent”.

“We’re very pleased with it. It looks very promising.”

* This story was first published by the New Zealand Herald.