NZTA drops Wellington traffic forecasts on deadline

Monday, 15 December 2025

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The Government-owned transport agency dropped information showing a projected spike in traffic past a Wellington school just before the final weekend of public feedback.

Wellington City councillor Jonny Osborne asked Waka Kotahi NZTA on December 4 how much additional traffic was expected outside St Patrick’s College on Evans Bay Parade under proposed State Highway 1 changes.

The answer took eight days and landed in his inbox at 4.01pm on Friday. Feedback on the proposed changes ended on Sunday.

Waka Kotahi’s 19-page consultation document only mentioned the predicted traffic numbers on local roads once – saying it would be reduced as more drivers opted for the new road.

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The Government, via Waka Kotahi, is planning $2.9 to $3.8 billion of works for Wellington that will see second Mount Victoria and Terrace tunnels, a complete overhaul of traffic around the Basin Reserve, with double-laning and a raised interchange through Hataitai.

The Post recently revealed the knock-on effect was projected to add 3500 daily cars to suburban Moxham Ave in Hataitai.

Now the modelling NZTA took eight days to supply shows the daily number of vehicles on the inland stretch of Evans Bay Parade is forecast to go from 5600 to 9000. But, with more vehicles using the planned wider highway, about 3200 fewer cars were expected on the coastal stretch of Evans Bay Pde, the agency said.

The agency – which kept the project’s investment case under tight wraps until releasing it in mid-November for four weeks of feedback – could not on Sunday give information on how much feedback it had received nor why it took eight days to respond to Osborne’s request.

Transport Minister and Hutt South MP Chris Bishop was asked whether Wellingtonians had sufficient time and information to give feedback on the SH1 Wellington improvements.

His office said he had nothing to add on previous statements. He has previously said there was capacity for changes post-consultation.

NZTA plans to release a summary of feedback received in February before lodging the project for fast-track approvals in mid-2026. The fast-track system makes it simpler for projects, deemed to have national or regional benefits, to get resource consent but scales back the amount the public get a say in them going ahead.

Osborne said locals had a right to the information and it was “extremely disappointing” NZTA left it until the last minute to release information that should have been available through the submission process.

“Not releasing these figures earlier casts a shadow over the public survey's findings,” he said.

Rongotai MP and Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said it was disappointing the “basic information” arrived so late.

Save the Basin co-convenor Iona Pannett said the timing of the information release was “unfortunate”.

Similar increases in traffic could be expected on other streets off the new road with many schools – Clyde Quay, Kilbirnie, Mt Cook, Te Aro primary schools as well as Wellington East, Wellington College, St Patrick’s College – in the firing line.

Labour was approached for comment.