The next National government will build key roading and public transport infrastructure to unlock housing growth in some of New Zealand’s fastest growing cities, National’s Housing and Infrastructure spokesperson Chris Bishop says.

“New Zealand’s housing crisis will be solved through a mixture of greater density in our cities and new development of greenfield housing. We simply must build tens of thousands of new houses and National is committing today to deliver the required infrastructure to make them a reality.

“National’s Transport for the Future plan will facilitate tens of thousands of new houses by requiring the New Zealand Transport Agency to prioritise funding for state highways in four areas needing new housing developments.”

National’s Transport for the Future plan will fund four new state highway projects to unlock housing:

• The North West Alternative State Highway in Auckland
• Southern Links in Hamilton
• The Tauriko West State Highway 29 upgrade in Tauranga
• The Petone to Grenada Link Road and Cross Valley Link in Lower Hutt and Wellington

“National’s plan to build the North West Alternative State Highway in Auckland at an estimated cost of $2.3 billion, will be a key component in unlocking urban growth in Auckland’s North West, supporting projected growth of 107,000 additional people and 44,300 new houses.

“The Southern Links project in Hamilton will see the construction of 21km of state highway, three new bridges, and 11km of urban arterial roads inside Hamilton’s Peacocke growth area.
“This project is expected to cost $600 million and will support the projected growth of at least 8,000 new homes in the Peacocke area alone.

“National’s Tauriko West upgrade on State Highway 29 will provide a western corridor for Tauranga, with four lanes where they are needed and sufficient side road access to connect new housing areas.
“This upgrade is expected to cost $1.9 billion and will unlock development opportunities for up to 18,500 houses and 60,000 square metres of retail in the Tauranga area and will provide a more efficient and resilient freight route for the upper North Island.

“The long-awaited Petone to Grenada Link Road and Cross Valley Link will see four lanes between Petone and Tawa, a new interchange at Petone, and increased capacity across the Hutt Valley, taking the pressure off the congested Petone Esplanade.

“With an estimated cost of $1.8 billion, this project will reduce commuter travel times between Porirua and the Hutt Valley by around 30 minutes each day in peak travel, allow public transport from the Hutt to Wellington’s northern suburbs, and will unlock greenfield development opportunities for up to 5,200 new homes in the area.

“National’s new public transport projects in Auckland will increase housing density in our biggest city. North West Rapid Transit, alongside the Eastern and Airport-to-Botany busways will open big areas of Auckland to sensible density and urban development where families find it easier to get around.

“In addition to funding through NZTA prioritisation, National will take advantage of private capital for these roads. Options will include tolls, ‘value capture’ and cost recovery.

“National’s vision is for thriving and productive cities and regions where everyone has a warm and dry place to call home. It means vibrant and growing cities, with good quality public transport and efficient and reliable infrastructure.”