Maintenance and safety key in Northland's $751 million share of national transport plan
Tuesday, 7 September 2021
Northland leaders are breathing a sigh of relief as the national transport plan means they can afford to maintain roads to current standards.
The 2021-24 National Land Transport Programme – a three-year plan for the projects Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency will fund – was released by Transport Minister Michael Wood on Tuesday.
A total of $24.3 billion will be spent by the Government on transport services and infrastructure over the next three years.
In Te Tai Tokerau, a total of $751 million will be spent over the three years, with nearly half – $344m – going on maintenance and operations.
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Whangārei mayor Sherl Mai said the money for maintenance is welcome, after councils were worried there would be a need to cut back.
“We are greatly relieved and grateful for the additional announcement. This is close to what we needed to continue maintaining the roads in our region and district in a safe way,” she said.
“It shows that we can maintain our roads to the standard expected. Before, it would’ve resulted in a slow-down in the standard and, frankly, people are complaining about the level of service now.”
However, there is still a worry that cost increases, for both labour and raw materials, will drive up the cost of maintenance, Mai said.
Another key part of the national plan for Northland is $103m for state highway safety, including speed changes.
SH1 from Wellsford to Whangārei will be the main focus, with the road from Port Marsden Highway to Whangārei being fast-tracked as a key priority.
When Whangārei’s SH1 four-laning project was canned in June, Mai expressed concerns safety improvements would mean lower speeds, adding to the time of travel and cost of freight.
But she conceded on Tuesday that safety was a key priority, and speeds may have to be lowered to make the road safe.
In the Far North, $27m will be spent to design and start building a median barrier between Pakaraka and Kāeo on SH10.
At Kāeo, a further $32m has been committed to replace the one-lane bridge with a two-lane bridge and roundabout, which has been promised since 2015.
Other projects funded in the plan is a $6.3m extension to Whangārei District Council’s Kamo shared path, allowing walking and cycling access to Kamo and Tikipunga.
In Kaipara, $14m will go on a shared path in Mangawhai, making it easier to travel by foot, bike or scooter along a part of busy Molesworth Dr.
Another key land transport project is a rail spur to Marsden Point, linking Northport with the rail line.
The Government allocated $692m through the NZ Upgrade Programme for this spur, for improvements of the rail line between Whangarei and Otiria, and SH1 safety improvements.
KiwiRail is working with agencies on an implementation case for the spur, which will set out the scope, costs and timeframe, with work expected to take five years to complete.