Fast-track to drive transport projects forward

The Government has enabled fast-track consenting for 29 critical road, rail, and port projects across New Zealand to deliver these priority projects faster and boost economic growth, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.

"New Zealand has an infrastructure deficit, and our Government is working to fix it. Delivering the transport infrastructure Kiwis needs is part of our plan to boost productivity, reduce congestion, and unleash economic growth. Enabling fast-track for these projects will allow them to be built quicker and more efficiently," Mr Brown says.

"New Zealand needs fast-track legislation to establish a steady pipeline of consented infrastructure projects, including the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) and Roads of Regional Significance (RoRS). The previous government abruptly stopped the successful Roads of National Significance programme and left Warkworth to Wellsford as the only new major roading project with consent.

As part of the Government's plan to rebuild the economy and address the infrastructure deficit, 29 transport projects have been listed in Schedule 2 of the Fast-track Approvals Bill, this includes:

• 16 road projects (including a Brynderwyns alternative, Mill Road in Auckland, the Woodend Bypass, and a second Ashburton Bridge)
• 5 rail projects (including level crossing removals in Auckland, and Lower North Island rail upgrades)
• 5 port projects (including container terminal expansion at Northport)
• 3 major public transport projects (including the Airport to Botany Rapid Transit)
  

Once complete, these projects will result in at least 180 kilometres of new road, rail and public transport corridors throughout New Zealand.

"Through the Fast-track Approvals Bill, the Government is cutting through the red tape to rebuild the pipeline of transport infrastructure projects. These listed projects throughout the country are focused on growing our economy and increasing productivity," Mr Brown says.

"We are moving at pace to deliver a new generation of RoNS for New Zealand to boost productivity. We are providing travel options by investing in public transport and rail. And we are unlocking growth by increasing capacity at New Zealand's ports.

"There is plenty of work to be done, and the inclusion of these projects for fast tracked consents means that Kiwis will experience the benefits of these projects sooner rather than later. These projects are critical to reducing travel times, unlocking land for thousands of new homes, and enabling goods to get to marketplaces in New Zealand and abroad.

"Including these projects in the fast-track approvals process provides a much more efficient way of getting them approved and consented. This announcement will give confidence to NZTA, KiwiRail and the wider construction sector that there is a strong pipeline of projects to work on and deliver over the coming years."