Nelson mayor will keep ‘maximum pressure’ on Government as Hope Bypass future still uncertain
Thursday, 9 July 2026
Nelson Mayor Nick Smith vowed to keep the Government's “feet to the fire” so the first stage of the Hope Bypass progresses, after the second stage was pushed into the slow lane.
Meanwhile, Tasman mayor Tim King said he was “realistic about this stuff” and relieved it had not been shelved altogether.
The comments come after the Government confirmed the South Island's long-awaited Hope and Woodend bypasses still have no funding allocated for construction.
On Thursday Transport Minister Chris Bishop released a plan for how the Government would sequence the country’s list of desired transport projects.
The plan, called NZ Transport Agency’s “Major Transport Projects Pipeline”, showed changes to what National campaigned on in 2023.
It included three categories for projects: phase one is under construction, phase two is preparing for construction and route protection, and phase three is “continuing more slowly”.
The first stage of the Hope Bypass, a Road of National Significance, was listed in the “future pipeline”, phase two, but the second stage had dropped to phase three.
The Hope Bypass investment case, released last October, proposed the project be built in two stages. The Government allocated $72.6 million for design, consenting and procurement work.
The first stage would focus on the stretch of State Highway 6 from Whakatu Drive in Nelson to the Queen St intersection in Richmond, while stage two would go from the deviation to State Highway 60.
According to the investment case, the completed bypass would reduce peak travel times through Richmond by at least 10 minutes by 2034 and 16 minutes by 2054.
Now, the Government had confirmed planning and design work on Stage 1 would continue, with improvements to the Queen St intersection prioritised.
However, there was still no confirmed funding or construction timetable, with work moving to the building phase only “as funding becomes available”.
Smith welcomed the commitment to improving the Queen St intersection but said there was still no guarantee the bypass itself would be built.
“I just want to keep maximum pressure on getting it addressed,” he said.
“I'll be holding whoever it is in the Government's feet to the fire to make sure stage one is progressed as quickly as possible after the design is concluded next year.”
The bypass was “vital” for both Nelson and Tasman, with congestion at the Queen St intersection affecting traffic all the way into Nelson.
“The Government's under financial pressure on every front, they've got to try and navigate the economic pressures with the need for this infrastructure,” he said.
“It is my view that the Nelson-Tasman region has been short-changed on highway investments over the past decade relative to strong population growth, and that's why we need to keep the pressure on.”
In April, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon assured Nelson-Tasman business leaders the Government was committed to the bypass going ahead, but was quick to warn that funding for roads was uncertain.
King said he had long expected the bypass would need to be delivered in stages.
“Our emphasis has been on ensuring that we get the critical pieces done as soon as possible.
“I guess I’m realistic about this stuff. From my perspective, it’s always been getting the first bit done, rather than having the whole project delayed.”
He said improvements to the Queen St- McGlashen Ave intersection would make the biggest difference over the next five to 10 years, but the bypass remained critical for commuters and freight.
Nelson MP Rachel Boyack said she was “frustrated” at the uncertainty and potential delays around the second phase.
“National, before the election, made huge promises on roading projects across the country, and it was clear that they didn't have the budget to deliver all of these projects,” she said.
It was one of only two South Island projects and needed to be prioritised.
“We're seeing all of the money flow into the North Island, but as a South Island MP, you know we need to make sure that the South Island's getting our fair share from the Land Transport Fund.”
National candidate for Nelson Blair Cameron said “the good news” was that Lower Queen St was prioritised as it was “pretty diabolical” for commuters and freight.
“Obviously, there have been economic headwinds that New Zealand has faced, which has meant that the money for the National Land Transport Programme is not as much as it needs to be to deliver the Roads of National Significance programme in its entirety.”