Resources & manuals

National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) 2009-2012

Published: 27 08 2009

The national land transport programme (NLTP) contains all the land transport activities, such as public transport services and road construction and maintenance, which are expected to receive funding from the NZ Transport Agency. The NZTA is responsible for allocating funding to land transport.

NLTP 2009-2012’s primary focus is a series of targeted investments that will help to address the important challenges New Zealand faces with land transport – in particular improving the efficiency of key transport routes, improving public transport and easing severe congestion in key urban areas, upgrading important freight and tourism routes, and improving safety and access to markets, employment and areas that contribute to economic growth.

New Zealand's roads of national significance

The government has identified some of New Zealand's most essential routes as requiring significant investment.

The seven roads of national significance (RoNS) identified in the GPS are:

Puhoi to Wellsford - State Highway (SH1)
completion of the Auckland Western Ring Route - SH20/16/18
the Auckland Victoria Park bottleneck - SH1
the Waikato Expressway - SH1
the Tauranga Eastern Corridor - SH2
the Wellington Northern Corridor (Levin to Wellington) - SH1
Christchurch motorway projects.

The RoNS represent a substantial change in planning for major national transport infrastructure in New Zealand. They are lead infrastructure - proactive improvements that encourage economic growth. In the past, improvements have tended to be reactive and focused on improving transport networks to keep pace with growth.

This NLTP aims to advance the delivery of the identified RoNS so that they are substantially completed within the next 10 years. However, as this will require funding beyond that currently identified, alternative financing options are likely to be explored.

All the RoNS projects are at various stages of development, ranging from Auckland's Puhoi to Wellsford four-laning (which is at the initial development stage) to the Victoria Park Tunnel, which is nearing construction.

RoNS projects will be complemented by improvements to key arterial roads and urban public transport networks. The NZTA is also working closely with local government to ensure the full benefits of the RoNS are realised.

The diagram below provides an indication of expenditure on the RoNS over the next ten years and an indication of funding available from the NLTF and tolls.