Roads of National Significance

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Roads of National Significance
System information
Formed20 March 2009 (20 March 2009)
Highway names
State HighwayState Highway X (SH X)
System links

Roads of National Significance (RoNS) was a name given by the Fifth National Government, to a programme to speed up road construction in New Zealand between 2009 and 2017.

RoNS were first announced on 20 March 2009 by Transport Minister, Steven Joyce, saying they were, "singled out as essential routes that require priority treatment".[1] They were described as "routes that are critical to improving economic productivity and growth. . . The focus is on moving people and freight between and within these centres more safely and efficiently".[2] Later in 2009, Prime Minister John Key, announced $11 billion in new State Highway investment over the coming decade, saying National wants to significantly improve our road network and help unclog New Zealand's growth arteries.[3]

Between 2012 and 2015 petrol taxes and road user charges rose 9 cents a litre to pay for RoNS.[4] The proportion of the transport budget for new and improved state highways rose from 23.4% in 2009/2010, to 61.8% in 2011/2012. Funding for other transport, such as repairs and footpaths, fell by 26.1%. In 2013 that led to the Auditor General reporting a risk that prioritising RoNS created pressures on other road maintenance.[5] From 2015[6] to 2020 average seal age rose from 6.86 to 7.96 years and average remaining seal life dropped from 2.18 to 1.23 years.[7]

Te Rehu O Waikato Bridge being completed in 2014 on the Waikato Expressway

The seven RoNS projects were:

The effectiveness of RoNS has been queried,[8] though Christchurch's motorways were largely open by the end of September 2020.[9] Central Wellington sections were never started due to rejection of the Basin Reserve flyover by a Board of Inquiry in 2014, though $12m was spent on design and consenting.[10] RoNS have also been criticised on grounds of safety, economic growth, urban planning, congestion and emissions.[8]

There have also been defects in construction, which have required costly repairs and led to questions over how contracts were awarded.[11]

Some of the RoNS had low cost benefit ratios.[12] In a written answer in 2017, the Minister of Transport, Simon Bridges, said the Warkworth to Wellsford motorway would return a benefit of 25 cents for every dollar spent.[13]

The state of RoNS schemes is set out below –

This table is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
RoNS route chosen started completed cost $m length km
Puhoi to Warkworth 2012 2016 2023 880 18.5
Warkworth to Wellsford 2017 1,900 27
Western Ring Route 2,400 16
Waterview Tunnels 2013 2017 1,700 4.5
Lincoln Rd to Westgate 2016 2019
Victoria Park tunnel 2009 2012 340 0.5
Waikato Expressway 2,200 84
Longswamp 2016 2019 96 6
Rangiriri 2013 2017 131 5
Huntly 2016 2020 458 15
Ngāruawāhia 2013 160 7
Te Rapa 2012 172 10
Hamilton 2016 2022 973 22
Cambridge 2015 218 16
Tauranga Eastern Link 2010 2015 455 21
Wellington Northern Corridor
Otaki to Levin ~2025 ~2030 1,500 24
Peka Peka to Otaki 2017 2022 445 13
Mackays to Peka Peka 2013 2017 630 18
Transmission Gully 2014 2022 1,250 27
Christchurch Motorway
Christchurch Northern Corridor 2016 2021 240 7
Western Belfast Bypass 2015 2017 122 5
Russley Road 2015 2018 112
Addington to Prebbleton 2010 2012 140 10.5
Prebbleton to Rolleston 2016 2020 195 13

The total cost of RONS projects that are either complete, or under construction, is $9.6 billion, including Auckland's Northern Corridor project. That provides for around 250 kilometres of new or significantly upgraded roads at an average cost of around $35 million per kilometre.[10]

On 29 January 2020 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, announced the Sixth Labour Government's $12 billion New Zealand Upgrade Programme.[14] National Party leader, Simon Bridges, claimed the coalition government had just picked up where National left off.[15] The Labour Party claims that, "National’s wish list was never funded, was never part of the Budget, and their projects failed to plan for the future. We’ve taken transport projects that were on NZTA’s plan, and they’ve been improved by including elements such as walking and cycling infrastructure, bus lanes and safety improvements".[16] NZTA give ambiguous messaging. They say that, in developing four-lane corridors, they will investigate opportunities to use two lanes for public transport services, vehicles carrying multiple people, and possibly freight and that all projects will have separate walking and cycling provision, with a focus on getting people out of cars and providing safer, more efficient travel choices, as well as extra vehicle capacity.[17] NZUP includes former RoNS plans (Whangārei to Port Marsden, Tauranga Northern Link, Te Puna to Omokoroa and Otaki to north of Levin),[18] though it also includes $1.6 billion of spending on transport alternatives.[19]

References

  1. ^ a b "First Roads of National Significance identified". The Beehive. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  2. ^ "GOVERNMENT POLICY STATEMENT ON LAND TRANSPORT FUNDING 2012/13–2021/22" (PDF). Jul 2011.
  3. ^ "Key Notes – Happy Christmas". www.scoop.co.nz. 18 December 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  4. ^ "Govt to hike petrol taxes and road user charges 9 cents over three years to pay for 'roads of national significance'". interest.co.nz. 18 December 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  5. ^ Muhammad Imran, Christine Cheyne & John Harold (2014). "Measuring Transport Resilience – A Manawatu-Wanganui Region Case Study" (PDF). Massey University Research Online.
  6. ^ "National pavement conditions report 2015".
  7. ^ "National pavement condition report 2020".
  8. ^ a b "Roads of National Significance – a success? A retrospective". TraNZport. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  9. ^ "Southbound lanes opening – second stage this weekend". createsend.com. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  10. ^ a b "RONS Review Part 2". Greater Auckland. 24 May 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  11. ^ "Highway costing $70 million per km set to get even more expensive due to pumice". RNZ. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  12. ^ "National wastes $1.5 billion on low value motorways". www.scoop.co.nz. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Cost of Warkworth to Wellsford motorway could double". RNZ. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  14. ^ "The New Zealand Upgrade Programme". The Beehive. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  15. ^ "Govt's $12b infrastructure spend: Rail, roads and DHBs the big winners". RNZ. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  16. ^ "FAQ: Everything you need to know about the Big New Zealand Upgrade". NZ Labour Party. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  17. ^ "Frequently asked questions | Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency". www.nzta.govt.nz. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  18. ^ "Penlink, the Tauranga Northern Link, Otaki to Levin, Mill Road and the Skypath among transport projects to get government funding". interest.co.nz. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  19. ^ "Julie Anne Genter: Why the 'New Zealand Upgrade' falls short". The Spinoff. 2 February 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.

External links

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