Northland Corridor

25 June 2025

Project update - June 2025

Tēnā koe and welcome to the Northland Corridor newsletter.

Thank you to everyone who came out to speak to us at the community drop in infomation sessions in Kaiwaka and Ruakākā, it's been great to have almost 300 people come along so far to ask questions and talk about the progress we are making. There are 3 more events in this drop-in series, 2 in Whangārei and 1 in Waipū.

We appreciate that landowners would like to understand how their properties might be affected. While we’re not quite at the stage where we can provide detailed information, once the NZTA Board endorse the preferred route in August/ September, we’ll be able to share more information.

This month we are one step closer to delivering Ara Tūhono - Warkworth to Te Hana, with 3 consortia shortlisted to progress to the next stage the project. We share more on this exciting milestone in procurement below, as well as a new video sharing information on the Northland Corridor and next steps. We also answer some of your frequently asked questions.

What if I can’t make the information sessions?

We know everyone is busy, so if these dates and times don’t work for you and you’d like to talk to us, feel free to reply to this email or contact us on northlandproject@nzta.govt.nz

Reminder for landowners in the emerging preferred corridor

For those of you who have received a letter from us letting you know that your property is within the emerging preferred corridor, this is a friendly reminder to please register your contact details. This helps us know who the best person to contact is, and makes sure we have all the correct details.

Instructions about how to register contact information have been provided in the letter. You can also register your contact details with us in person at one of the upcoming community drop-in sessions.

If you have any questions, please contact us by emailing northlandproject@nzta.govt.nz or phoning us on 0800 927 293.

Video update on Northland Corridor

Watch our short video update that outlines where we’re at with the project and the next steps. You can watch it here.

The timeline below shows our next steps over the coming months. Click here to view a larger version of the project timeline.

Ara Tūhono - Warkworth to Te Hana update

Procurement update

The Expression of Interest (EOI) stage of the Ara Tūhono – Warkworth to Te Hana procurement process has been successfully completed and the 3 shortlisted respondents confirmed.

The 3 shortlisted consortia who will be invited to submit Request for Proposals (RFPs) for the financing, design, construction, management and maintenance of the project under a PPP (Public Private Partnership) are, in no particular order:

• Northway made up of Acciona Concesiones S.L., abrdn Global Sustainable Infrastructure GP IV Ltd and Acciona Construction New Zealand Ltd
   
• Go>North made up of VINCI Highways S.A.S., John Laing Limited, VINCI Construction Grands Projets S.A.S., VINCI Construction GeoInfrastructure S.A.S. and HEB Construction Limited
   
• Together North made up of Plenary Origination Pty Ltd, Webuild S.p.A, WBCA Pty Ltd, Gamuda Engineering Pty Limited and Service Stream Holdings Pty Limited

We expect to announce a Preferred Bidder in early 2026, with the successful PPP consortia expected to begin detailed design and construction in late 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is a preferred route?

The preferred route is a refinement of the emerging preferred corridor, following further investigation and design. We will use this to seek approval from the NZTA Board to apply for consents and designations. There are still several places the final road may go within the preferred route.

When will we know were the final road will go?

Once we’ve confirmed the land we need to construct, operate and maintain the future road, we plan to lodge the necessary resource consents and Notices of Requirements (NoR) to legally protect it for this purpose. We anticipate this will happen in mid 2026.

When will you start to purchase property?

We still have a while to go before we can confirm land impacts and engage with property owners over potential land impacts. Once the land designation is confirmed and subject to funding, we’ll be seeking to purchase land we require closer to the start of construction.

What happens if you need to purchase my property?

If we need land you own for the project, we will contact you directly. If you are affected, we will:

• Arrange to come and talk with you
• Work with you to manage your concerns
• Explain the support you are entitled to
• Explain the relevant processes and your rights

Property owners can also view the “Guide for Landowners” on the Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) website for more information about the Public Works Act 1981 (PWA) process.

Is Ruakākā School going to be affected?

No, Ruakākā School is not within the emerging preferred corridor.

Meet the team

Tom Ireland – Risk and Value Management Lead

Tell us about yourself and your role:

I’m the Risk and Value Management Lead for the Northland Corridor with over 30 years of experience in tunnels, transport and infrastructure projects in Australia, UK, Middle East, Hong Kong, and Aotearoa New Zealand. In Aotearoa, these tunnels include the city-changing Waterview tunnel and City Rail Link. These projects have resulted in transformative community change and ensuring greater reliability and resilience on the transport network.

What excites you about the Ara Tūhono – Warkworth to Te Hana project:

Having worked on two Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) with NZTA over the last 8 years, I’m looking forward to bringing my experience to this project in the role of managing the risk and value aspects of Northland Corridor. Northland ground conditions are well known to be challenging and there is a real opportunity to bring the combined experience of the team to deliver a robust solution that will serve the community for years to come.

More information

For more information on the Northland Corridor project, contact us at NorthlandProject@nzta.govt.nz