‘Absolutely delighted’: $85 million for Coromandel roading resilience

Tuesday, 2 June 2026

Thames-Coromandel District Council mayor Peter Revell has welcomed the investment.

District leaders have welcomed tens of millions of dollars of investment in Budget 2026 to beef up roads on the Coromandel Peninsula.

Some $65 million will go to a replacement for the Kirikiri Stream bridge near Kōpū while $20 million is going to State Highway 25 to strengthen up to 11 high-risk sites.

State Highway 25 is susceptible to flooding.

Thames-Coromandel District Council mayor Peter Revell said he was “absolutely delighted” at the announcement, saying it was the result of a number of visits from representatives visiting the region and how the extent of the damage 'obviously hit a chord'.

He added while he’d be 'very comfortable' receiving $700 million down the track to boost resilience in multiple hotspot areas, such as a 'robust second option other than 25A', he said there is no doubt the $85 million will go far.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis said ‘we can’t stop severe weather events from happening, but we can be much better prepared for them’.

'[It’s] a fantastic starting point and particularly for in the summer season and long weekends … visitors, tourists, holidaymakers will notice the difference.'

In her Budget announcement Thursday afternoon, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said the resilience building is “part of fixing the basics and building the future” for New Zealand’s roads while lowering costs in the long term.

It's a sentiment that's been a long time coming according to Revell, saying 'building back better' is paramount to the community having confidence in their road.

Coromandel MP Scott Simpson said there are few alternatives when SH25 has to close.

'The resilience of the network is a concern to everybody on the peninsula partly because communities get cut off… but also economically for tourists to have the confidence when they come to the peninsula they can get on and off and they're not going to be killed.'

Coromandel MP Scott Simpson also sang its praises, saying the investment will provide “reliability for the people and businesses that rely on the road every day”.

He added the work on the Kirikiri bridge will improve flood protection from a one-in-five-year event to a one-in-100-year event.

“We can't stop severe weather from happening, but we can be much better prepared for it,” Simpson said.

“For the Coromandel, that means investing in the roads and bridges that keep communities connected, supporting local businesses, and underpinning the region's tourism economy.”

The tourism outreach rang true for tourism outfit Destination Hauraki Coromandel, with general manager Kylie Hawker‑Green labelling SH25 as the “lifeline” for the Coromandel.

“Reliable roads get people here. Well‑planned tourism infrastructure ensures their visit is positive, safe and sustainable, she said,

“We experience high visitor pressure on local infrastructure, particularly during peak seasons, and our councils and communities carry much of that cost.”