Work will start this year on the first 94 projects under a dedicated fund for early preventative works to protect New Zealand’s state highway network from future severe weather disruption, Transport Minister, David Parker, announced today.
Waka Kotahi has confirmed that the Transport Resilience Fund projects will start in 2023/24. The list covers projects across the country, and it includes some substantial projects in Northland and the West Coast in particular.
“Budget 2023 established the $419 million Transport Resilience Fund. It complements the Government’s funding of more than $1 billion in 2023 for immediate works to repair cyclone-affected roads,” said Minister Parker.
“We know that severe weather events will be an ongoing challenge. This fund will help identify and repair vulnerable points in the network to help mitigate the risk of them failing in future storms or other natural hazards.”
Close to $44 million will be invested in Northland, including a $25 million project to help stabilise subsidence risks across the region’s highway network.
“This will focus on 92 sites where urgent works are required. The works will be programmed over seven years,” said Mr Parker.
“On the West Coast, $22.7 million will go into several projects including river erosion protection works at the Gates of Haast bridge on State Highway 6, which borders Mt Aspiring National Park and connects the West Coast to Central Otago.
“A long list of other regions will benefit from the small to medium-scale resilience project funding. The list doesn’t yet include cyclone-hit Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay, because immediate recovery efforts are the priority in those regions this year.”
The projects announced today are part of a wider, multi-year programme that will help ensure essential transport connections around the country remain open and accessible, now and in future, the Minsiter said.
For the full list of 2023/24 state highway projects funded by the Transport Resilience Fund, visit https://www.nzta.govt.nz/transport-resilience-fund.
