Northland Corridor

20 February 2026

Tēnā koe and welcome to the Northland Corridor newsletter.

We hope you and your whānau enjoyed a holiday break and stayed safe during the heavy rain in January.

After a short break over the summer, the Northland Corridor team continued meeting with landowners in the priority section of the corridor, the Alternative to the Brynderwyn Hills. These meetings are now completed. Thank you to everyone who has met with us so far. You will hear from us again in March prior to us lodging the Notice of Requirement (NoR) for this section of the corridor.

For landowners between Waipū and Whangārei in the preferred route, there is another letter on the way to you with an invitation to book in your individual meeting with the project team. We expect these letters to arrive in the next two weeks. There’s more information on these meetings below.

The team continue to make good progress refining the preferred route. We are on track to lodge the NoR and all statutory approvals for Alternative to Brynderwyn Hills section by mid-2026, and the NoR for the rest of the corridor by the end of 2026.

Below, we share some progress on the geotechnical investigations and information for landowners.

We also share some information that may be of interest on speed limit consultations that NZTA are currently undertaking on 5 corridors across Northland.

Information for landowners

We are in the final stages of refining the preferred route for the Alternative to the Brynderwyns Hills section and expect to provide confirmation of impact for landowners by mid-March 2026.

For landowners between Waipū and Whangārei, we have sent letters out with information on how to book in your individual meetings with the project team. These meetings will take place between April – July this year. Meetings will be held at a local venue in Whangārei, Ruakākā or Waipū or online.

There will be more information on how to make a booking in the letter you receive.

More information for landowners is available here: SH1 Northland Corridor information sheet for landowners – October 2025

There is more information on our project timelines here below. Click here to see a larger version of the timeline.

Reminder for landowners to register your contact details

So that we can contact landowners as quickly and efficiently as possible, we want to make sure we have all the contact details of landowners who may be potentially affected.

If you have received a letter from us advising that your property is within the preferred route, please register your contact details. Instructions on how to register your contact details are provided in your letter.

It is quick and easy to register via the online form and only takes about one minute.

Alternatively, please email us at northlandproject@nzta.govt.nz or phone us on 0800 927 293 to register your contact details.

Site investigations

The team has been focussed on the Alternative to the Brynderwyn Hills section, and there is still more work to do in this area. We’d like to thank landowners who have allowed (and continue to allow) access onto their properties to carry out this important work.

Investigations will now also move north towards Ruakākā and Whangārei.

To help us refine the route in the coming months, we may request access to your land to undertake geotechnical investigations. If this is the case, we’ll contact you to request permission, explain what we’re proposing to do and work with you to arrange a time.

Undertaking geotechnical investigations does not mean your property will necessary be affected by the project.

Ara Tūhono – Warkworth to Te Hana

PPP procurement of Northland Corridor Section 1 Ara Tūhono – Warkworth to Te Hana, is progressing well. NZTA will be moving into the negotiation stage after the evaluation of proposals is complete at the end of March 2026, with the contract expected to be awarded by end of July 2026.

The successful PPP consortium is expected to start detailed design and early construction works by the end of this year.

Northland speed limit consultation

NZTA are proposing lower speed limits on some sections of Northland state highways.

These speed limit changes are targeted to respond to community requests for safer speeds, as well as supporting specific projects.

Find more information on which corridors NZTA are proposing new speed limits and how to have your say at the below link.

Northland speed limit consultation | NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi

Meet the team

Archie Amin – Civil Lead

I’m the Civil Lead for the project, focusing on the sections north of Te Hana through to Whangārei.

Tell us about yourself and your role:

I’m passionate about delivering infrastructure. A roading engineer by background, I’ve worked on mega projects across Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, and I enjoy bringing lessons from these experiences into my work.

On this project, I lead the civil design, working closely with our engineers, planners, partners, and stakeholders to ensure it’s safe, resilient and buildable. I’m often translating technical details into clear, accessible information for decision-makers and the community. Some of my time is also spent meeting landowners and talking about project progress.

Outside of the project, I enjoy time with friends and family, exploring new places, getting creative with arts and crafts, and keeping up with my energetic five-year-old.

What excites you about the Northland Corridor project:

For me, this project is about opening the door to Northland’s future, creating opportunities for growth, and helping build a more connected and equitable region. I fell in love with Northland while living near Kawakawa for a time, where I experienced first-hand the resilience and spirit of its communities. Being part of a project that will support growth and create lasting benefits is something I feel truly privileged to do.

More information

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