Dear John,

I am very excited to report that I was with Minister of Transport Chris Bishop when he announced the launch of the Stage 1 plan for Mill Road at a low key event near where the major upgrade will start in Redoubt Road. For me, this has been a 20 year journey and improving Mill Road is something I have advocated for strongly and it is wonderful that it is going ahead now.

Together with former Transport Minister Simeon Brown who began this new Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme and local Takanini MP for National Rima Nakhle, we heard the welcome news for Auckland south. We were accompanied by Kathryn King Regional Manager System Design and Steve Mutton Director of Regional Relationships of New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) . Jointly, they are responsible for the planning and all the pre-contract work needed for the expansion of Mill Road in the three stages that are needed for this sizeable project.

The road is one of 17 RoNS this Government is progressing, and the NZTA Board’s endorsement of the investment case and approval of design and consent funding for Stage one, is a direct result of our Government’s focus on streamlining the business case process and getting projects into delivery faster.

Mill Road will become a four lane (general traffic) corridor including a westbound bus lane at the northern end with two new and six upgraded intersections between SH1 interchange and Murphys Road. The design includes three new roundabouts and new bridges across Puhinui Creek and Cheesman’s Bush.
 
The existing Mill Road, south of Redoubt Road, will become a shared path and property access road.

Now that we have endorsement of the investment case and approval of design and consent funding for Stage 1, we have certainty on the next steps as the project moves to completion of the design and technical work necessary for construction to begin as early as mid-2026.
 
Mill Road Stage 1 covers a range of different environments from highly urban, through to rural areas, as well as locations that require more technical assessments to determine the most appropriate design and construction methods. 
 
The work will start on Stage 1b from Hollyford Drive to Hilltop Road, then work to the south (Stage 1d). This will include roundabout improvements around the Mill Road Alfriston area. Stage 1a between State Highway 1 (SH1) and Hollyford Drive and Stage 1c from Hilltop Road to north of Alfriston, will be delivered last in this stage.  
 
Mill Road has a long history, including a confirmed designation for Stage 1 obtained in 2016. Unfortunately, the subsequent government cancelled that designation in 2017 then promised it again in 2020 only to cancel it again in 2021.
NZTA is working at pace to build on the earlier designs with the retained focus on improving the efficiency and resilience of the corridor, and increasing capacity to deliver faster, more reliable journey times. The project will also seek to obtain statutory approvals, likely via the Fast Track Approvals Act, and this will be confirmed in coming months.
 
Delivering Mill Road Stage 1 will provide substantial benefits to all vehicle drivers, including a 30 percent reduction in congestion on the corridor, 25 per cent faster journey times and an over 60 percent reduction in crashes causing deaths and serious injuries, by 2031.
 

Possible Tolling 

The Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2024 (GPS) also requires NZTA to consider tolling for all new RoNS. The investment case confirms tolling is possible and the revenue will support the construction and maintenance of the road.  

The investment case for Mill Road Stage 1 has shown it will deliver substantial benefits. Taking a staged approach to delivery and spreading investment over multiple National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) periods, helps focus delivery of priority benefits sooner, and delivers a strong pipeline of work for the construction sector into the future. 

We know there is real progress being made as NZTA recently opened a Registration of Interest (ROI) for the first package of technical works, which will help move Stage 1 closer to construction.

South Auckland is the fastest growing area in the region, and we need to get on and deliver transport infrastructure that supports this growth. 

I was humbled that Minister Bishop thanked me as the local MP who has advocated for Mill Road for around 20 years. He also thanked Hon Simeon Brown and Rima Nakhle MP for their advocacy of this important project, as do I.  I know we all look forward to seeing the real progress happening in the months and years ahead as Mill Road Stage 1 moves into construction as soon as possible.
 
For more information about the project on the NZTA website here: [link removed]
 
I am excited to be part of the Government that is really getting New Zealand back on track.

Judith

Hon Judith Collins KC
MP for Papakura

 

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