Minister hails Southern Links as removing a ‘handbrake to growth’ in Waikato
Wednesday, 22 October 2025
A business boss’s reaction to major roading moves for southern Hamilton can’t be reported in full - but the second word was “wonderful”.
Many share Waikato Chamber of Commerce chief executive Don Good’s enthusiasm about the long-awaited Southern Links roading project, which got a $100m supercharge from the Government on Monday.
It’s touted as a boon for easing congestion, opening up development south of the city, and driving economic development - easing what the one minister called a “handbrake on growth”.
And while an economist flagged the risk of plans changing with the election cycle, Good said that’d cost politicians votes.
The Southern Links project will eventually form a 32km transport network linking SH1 and SH3. Monday’s announcement concerns early funding to get it ready to the construction stage.
Transport and Housing Minister Chris Bishop told the Waikato Times infrastructure had been “a handbrake on growth” in Waikato, despite the area having enough land capacity for the next 30 years.
“By 2048, an extra 224,000 people are expected to be living in the Waikato, and it’s crucial that we have transport networks that can keep Hamilton and the Waikato moving.”
Good said the planned development had been mooted as far back as 25 years ago. He believes it could reduce central Hamilton traffic by up to 20% - and bring a much-needed business and development boost.
“It unlocks a large amount of new development south and southwest of Hamilton, both the large Peacocke developments and the airport,” he said. “It’s constrained at the moment.”
He said it’ll provide a ring road, taking traffic out of central Hamilton, and link western industrial areas directly to the Waikato Expressway.
The transport corridor is expected to eventually enable access to about 17,300 new homes. That kind of potential — and transport certainty — is welcomed by developers and local government.
“The biggest thing the development community needs is certainty,” Good said. “A lot of them are really keen on affordable housing.”
Hamilton East MP Ryan Hamilton said the funding was “massively significant” and the Government had attempted to secure bi-partisan support.
However, it was too early to talk start or finish dates for construction, with significant milestones such as applying for resource consent still to come.
Economist Kelvin Davidson from Coality (formerly CoreLogic) also welcomed the extra housing, saying there was a correlation between infrastructure and housing supply.
“In some cases, housing comes first and creates the demand. In others, it’s the infrastructure that gets things moving. But you’re not going to have reliable housing without the infrastructure.”
He said Hamilton was poised to be a growth area, adding that there was “every reason to be optimistic”.
“You have to hope it survives through the political cycle,” he said.
Good was more direct: “Business would be very disappointed if politicians undid infrastructure like this… politicians would lose votes”.
Incoming Hamilton Mayor Tim Macindoe was at Local Government New Zealand meetings in Wellington but posted online that it was “wonderful news”.
The city council’s general manager of strategy, growth and planning, Blair Bowcott, was also positive.
“Confirmation of funding for the next steps is a boost for our region, and by extension, for Hamilton. It keeps the project moving.”
Additional investment is already committed in the area, including a Southern Wastewater Treatment Plant and development around the airport precinct, he said.
Waipā Mayor-elect Mike Pettit called it a “critical step in unlocking economic potential”.