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Govt unveils $32.9b for roads, rail, public transport

Monday, 2 September 2024

Government promises more than $30b to deliver on transport goals

The Government has announced over $32b will be spent on roading and transport projects over the next three years.

Minister of Transport Simeon Brown has unveiled the Government’s plan for transport until 2027.

Among the priorities, include an investment in 17 Roads of National Significance, and money for pothole repairs.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown will pour $32.9 billion into roads over the next three years in what he described as “back to basics” spending on transport.

The national land transport program, revealed in Wellington on Monday, puts $460 million towards finishing projects started by the Labour government, but hasn’t funded any new walking and cycling projects.

Brown - who also said it was a record investment - clarified “back to basics” meant a fresh focus on maintenance and potholes.

Minister of Transport Simeon Brown.
Minister of Transport Simeon Brown.

“People pay their road user charges and their fuel excise duty, and their expectation is that that funding goes back into building and maintaining that road network,” he said.

It earmarked $5.5bn specifically for potholes - a significant increase compared to spending in the previous program - alongside $8.6 billion to state highway and local road improvements, $6.4 billion for public transport, and $4.6 billion into maintenance.

It continues the notable shift in transport policy, with Brown going against efforts by recent governments to try to ease congestion by making modes of travel other than the car more appealing.

Brown rejected that he is prioritising car drivers over other road users, and pointed out his party campaigned on repairing potholes, increasing speed limits and building more highways.

Roads of National Significance are back.
Roads of National Significance are back.

Brown also said he could complete the 17 promised Roads of National Significance - four lane highways - within budget. The roads will be completed in waves, with construction of the first wave due to start in the next three years.

Early planning for all 17 roads is due to begin by June next year. Brown said this would give the sector a clear pipeline so it could ensure it had the right skills and staff to do the work.

Brett Gliddon, Waka Kotahi group general manager of transport services, said it was becoming more expensive to build roads, a factor he said was partly down to increased construction costs and the increased cost of doing business.

But a pipeline of work could help nudge those costs down.

“Not having sustainable funding over recent years has really impacted our ability to do things in an efficient way and design a pipeline so that construction companies can invest in plant and people to get efficiency. So what we're hoping with this new amount of money coming into the maintenance activity classes, contractors get a pipeline of work into the future, they'll invest in people and … better ways of doing things. So that's the hope,” he said.

Roads of National Significance:

Roads of Regional Significance: