Where are we now?
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) and Auckland Transport have now lodged confirmed designations decisions on the Notices of Requirement (NoRs) with Auckland Council and Waikato District Council for the Pukekohe, Paerata, south Drury projects.
The decisions on the NoRs follows NZTA and Auckland Transport receiving both Councils’ recommendation from the independent hearings panel. The hearing was held in March 2024. Council’s recommendation was issued in August 2024.
Auckland Council and Waikato District Council have published the decision, and are notifying submitters and other interested parties of the decision and the 15 working day appeal period. The next step after that will be resolution of any appeals that may be filed.
These projects are not funded for implementation or construction. We anticipate this will take place in the coming decades once funding becomes available.
Past phases
Notices of Requirement were lodged in October 2023. Notices of Requirement and Hearings documents are available on Council's website:
The recommendations from Council’s Hearing Panel have been published and are available on Council’s website:
Pukekohe, Paerata and south Drury Timeline
About Pukekohe, Paerata and south Drury
By 2050 more than 65,000 people are expected to be living in Pukekohe, Paerata, and south Drury with around 12,500 new homes and 5000 new jobs expected as a result of this population increase. Areas of land across the Pukekohe, Paerata and south Drury have been zoned future urban to support planned business and residential growth.
Te Tupu Ngātahi Supporting Growth is working to protect land for modern, integrated, safe, and sustainable transport networks that will better connect future communities with options for walking, cycling, using public transport, and driving.
This work integrates with the Auckland Council Pukekohe-Paerata Structure Plan and Drury-Opaheke Structure plan and community aspirations that transport networks support the mix and location of housing, employment, retail, commercial, and communities in the area.
The timing for construction of the new transport network will vary and is dependent on the release of surrounding land for development and funding.
During public consultation, we heard that you opposed the proposed North East Arterial option, specifically, the section proposed to upgrade Grace James Road.
As a result of ongoing assessment and the feedback we received during consultation, we have made changes to the proposed North East Arterial alignment. The proposed alignment is now:
- Sitting away from the Future Urban Zone. This is similar to a route identified in the Pukekohe-Paerata Structure Plan 2019.
- A more easterly alignment in the southern section at the intersection of Pukekohe East Road.
Investigating various routes/alignments that could make up the proposed transport network is part of the process leading to lodging Notices of Requirement. Changes to initial proposals and options can occur as a result of additional investigations, further assessment, and public engagement.
The North East Arterial alignment was revised for a number of reasons including:
- Our additional work shows that it directly connects the proposed Paerata and western arterials.
- Community and stakeholder feedback during consultation.
- Further assessment indicates that the revised alignment will be more direct and will be used more by general traffic, including freight.
- For the southern section of the revised alignment (which now has a more easterly route), there are reduced impacts on ecologically significant areas compared to other options. It integrates better with future urban development on the eastern side (closer to Runciman Road).
In summary, the value of the North East Arterial route to the overall transport network for Pukekohe-Paerata and south Drury increases with these changes.
