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Private Bag 6995
Wellington 6141
New Zealand
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www.nzta.govt.nz
8 October 2024
Greg Presland
[FYI request #28349 email]
REF: OIA-16392
Dear Greg
Request made under the Official Information Act 1982
Thank you for your email of 10 September 2024 requesting the following information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act):
Please provide me with the latest costings for each of the Government's roads of national
significance together with the source for each of the costings.
Before I respond to your request, and to provide context, the Government Policy Statement on Land
Transport 2024 (GPS) was released on 7 June 2024, and came into effect from 1 July 2024.
Expectations for NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) in the GPS, including for the Roads of
National Significance, include but are not limited to a focus on the use of alternative delivery models, a
broader range of funding options and financing models, more efficient business case processes, and
maintaining tight control on project scope and cost by adopting a “no fril s” approach.
At this time NZTA has not developed cost estimates for the following projects for a scope that aligns
with the expectations set out in the GPS:
• Hope Bypass
• Second Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve Upgrade (SH1)
• North West Alternative Highway (SH16)
• Hamilton Southern Links
• Petone to Grenada Link Road and Cross Valley Link Road
• East West Link
• Mil Road (Stage 1)
• Tauriko West SH29
• Northland Corridor
Work is wel underway to determine the cost estimates for the fol owing projects, but a final figure is
yet to be confirmed:
• Hawkes Bay Expressway
• Cambridge to Piarere
• Belfast to Pegasus Motorway (and Woodend Bypass)
It is anticipated that updated estimates wil be completed in the coming months once the scope of the
project is refined and confirmed.
I am therefore refusing your request for this information under section 18(e) of the Act as the
document al eged to contain the information does not exist, or despite reasonable efforts to locate it,
cannot be found.
The cost estimate for Takitimu North Link Stage 2 is going to the NZTA board in October.
However because this figure is not yet finalised, given it is stil going through the approval process, I
am withholding this under section 9(2)(g)(i) of the Act, to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs
through the free and frank expression of opinions by or between or to Ministers of the Crown or
members of an organisation or officers and employees of any department or organisation in the course
of their duty.
Due to the current status of commercial negotiations, I am withholding the cost estimates for the Ōtaki
to north of Levin project under section 9(2)(j) of the Act. This section allows for the withholding of
information to enable a Minister of the Crown or any department or organisation holding the
information to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and
industrial negotiations):
The only cost estimate that has been confirmed is for the Takitimu North Link Stage 1 project. The
current cost estimate is $884 mil ion. The funding source for this project is through Crown funding.
With respect to the information that has been withheld from this request, I do not consider there are
any other factors which would render it desirable, in the public interest, to make the information
available.
Under section 28 of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review my decision to
withhold and refuse certain information within this request. The contact details for the Ombudsman
can be located at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
If you would like to discuss this reply with NZTA, please contact Ministerial Services, by email to
[NZTA request email].
Yours sincerely
Richard Osborne
Acting National Manager System Design
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