The National Party is promising to deliver the biggest infrastructure programme in New Zealand’s history if elected in September.
This includes $31 billion for four-lane highways, rapid transit and a new Auckland harbour crossing.
About $17b would be invested in Auckland and the upper North Island which is “broken by congestion”, newly elected leader Judith Collins says.
It would connect Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga with four-lane expressways – including tunnels under the Brynderwyn and Kaimai mountain ranges with toll charges.
“National’s vision is to transform the four cities to be one economic powerhouse, unlocking their potential so the upper North Island becomes Australasia’s most dynamic region,” she says.
The other $14b is allocated for soon-to-be-announced projects in the southern half of the country and would come from the current Government’s Covid fund. The NZ Transport Agency would also be allowed to borrow up to $1b a year.
The programme aims to follow through on all Labour Party projects with the exception of transport minister Phil Twyford’s “light-rail ghost trains, and the probable exception of the $360 million Skypath”.
An Auckland rapid transit network is promised, including rail to the airport and new busways.
Collins says work towards an additional harbour crossing would begin immediately, with the intention of work beginning on the ground in 2028.
“National’s plan is that the crossing should be a tunnel or tunnels, and be for both road and rail, and new public transport technologies that come on line.”
She says Auckland’s ferry network would be expanded to reduce congestion on road and rail. This also includes new walking and cycling links as well as expanded park-and-ride facilities.
The projects are sequenced over the next 10 years and beyond, but work would also begin immediately on $300 million worth of digger-ready projects throughout the country to fix potholes, roundabouts, and crash corners.
“One rough definition of a city is that it is a place you can get from one side to the other in an hour, or a place that the average time to get to work is 30 minutes,” Collins says.
“National will measure our progress against the goals of 30 minutes to get to work and one hour to get across the city.”
National Party transport spokesperson Chris Bishop says the projects aim to “smash congestion”.
“Congestion costs Auckland over $1 billion per year. It means unreliable journey times, goods being delivered late to market, and endless frustration.
“Previous governments have not been ambitious enough in dealing to congestion. World-class cities have high-quality public transport networks where mass transit is a normal part of everyday life,” he says.
“Under National, Auckland will become the world-class city it can and should be – and the Upper North Island will become an interconnected economic powerhouse.”
“We will restore state highway funding within the National Land Transport Fund and every dollar that goes into that fund will benefit road users. Crown funding will pay for our expansion of the existing rail network in Auckland.
“National will repeal the Auckland Regional Fuel Tax within our first 100 days in office, delivering $150 million in savings per year into Aucklanders’ back pockets.
“We will not increase fuel tax or road user charges in our first term,” Bishop says.
