Infrastructure minister insists new Mt Victoria tunnel to start this term

Wednesday, 13 August 2025

The last car tunnel through Mount Victoria was built almost a century ago.

Transport Minister Chris Bishop says spades will be in the ground for a second Mount Victoria tunnel this term but an opposition MP is sceptical it will happen.

The wider project, an attempt to free up central Wellington traffic, will theoretically see a second Mount Victoria tunnel, a second Terrace tunnel, major alterations around the Basin Reserve, and State Highway 1 changes through the central city – but it was the second Mount Victoria tunnel that Bishop made a pre-election pledge to start this term.

It initially appeared the final call on how it would be achieved would come late-June when a draft investment case was due. But NZ transport Agency NZTA then said it wouldn’t be considered complete until it went to the board for approval last week.

This week NZTA said the board had considered the investment case but outcomes and recommendations would be released “in due course over coming weeks and months”.

Labour Transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere, left, is sceptical that Transport Minister Chris Bishop will deliver on a pledge to start construction of a second Mount Victoria tunnel this parliamentary term.

Neither Waka Kotahi nor Bishop could this week confirm a decision had been made. But Bishop’s office confirmed that there would be spades in the ground for the second Mount Victoria tunnel this term – which ends in late 2026.

A statement from NZTA confirmed the board considered the Wellington projects and other Roads of National Significance (RoNs) at Friday’s meeting but would not say if it signed off on the central Wellington one.

The whole project for both tunnels plus State Highway 1 changes and Basin reserve changes was considered. The agency was “exploring options for early project work” in 2026.

“The RoNS represent a substantial investment in key roading corridors around New Zealand, and it is critical that the projects are staged and delivered in an affordable and pragmatic way, alongside other critical investments in our land transport network.”

Labour’s Transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere could not commit to continue with the recommendations – due to them not yet being known – if Labour came to power in the 2026 election. Labour backed a bipartisan approach to long-term infrastructure plans to end projects stopping and starting with new governments.

“[The Government] should deliver what they promise but I fear pigs will fly before National has spades in the ground on this project,” he said.

“This is yet another distraction that looks good on a bumper sticker but cannot be paid for given the transport budget deficit this government faces.”

This government’s plans took over from the previous Labour Government’s $7.4m Let’s Get Wellington Moving package, which also included a second Mount Victoria tunnel, plus mass rapid transit as well as cycling and walking changes. The new plans are largely road-focused.

Wellington Central Green MP Tamatha Paul pledged, if in government after the 2026 election, to work to stop the car tunnel and instead focus on public transport, cycling and walking.

“[The tunnel] is not going to happen,” she said.

“The community is going to put up massive opposition. It is just about the PM and his team getting to the airport faster.”

Rongotai Green MP Julie Anne Genter was concerned about the lack of transparency from NZTA and government

“It’s a publicly funded project that directly impacts our city, the public deserve to know what is being considered by the government, and have input into it.”