Northland's fast-track approvals show heavy focus on infrastructure

A Northland business group is welcoming the heavy focus on infrastructure in the government's list of local projects singled out for fast-tracked consenting.

The 11 projects on Northland's list are mostly essential infrastructure such as roads, rail and housing with broad community support - but they also include a contentious sand mining proposal and a port expansion which was refused consent earlier this year.

Few Northlanders will argue with the plan to build an alternative route to the notoriously slip-prone State Highway 1 over the Brynderwyn Hills, or with a Māori health provider's plan to build up to 100 affordable homes for the "working poor" in Kaikohe.

Crucial but unglamorous projects such as upgrading Kaikohe's ageing sewage treatment plant are also on the list, as is a long-delayed proposal for a railway link to Northport - one of only a few ports in New Zealand not connected to the national rail network.

NorthChamber chief executive Leah McKerrow said the list was good news for Northland.

"We are very pleased, particularly with the heavy focus on infrastructure because, obviously, accessibility for Northland businesses is critical. The key for us is that that they are able to be moved along as quickly as possible."

McKerrow said some projects, such as the wastewater upgrade, were "absolutely critical".

"But anything that's actually helping our roading and our rail link is going to be advantageous to a much greater number of businesses in Northland. So those are the ones that we really feel are quite urgent to progress," she said.

Consent for a major expansion of Northport, at Marsden Point, was refused by independent commissioners in July this year.

The main reason was the loss of recreational and cultural values arising from the reclamation of a popular beach to make way for a container terminal.

Northport is already appealing that decision, but chief executive Jon Moore said the project's inclusion on the fast-track list added an extra consenting pathway for the board to consider.

Whether it was a viable option would depend on the final wording and provisions of the fast-track consenting bill.

Moore said Northport firmly believed the project had the potential to stimulate economic development in Northland and strengthen the resilience of the national supply chain network.

Opposition to the port expansion was led by the Patuharakeke Te Iwi Trust Board.

At the time, spokesperson Juliane Chetham hailed the commissioners' decision at the time as "clear and correct".

Patuharakeke has been contacted for comment.

Perhaps the most controversial project on the list - given opposition to similar operations further down the coast - is a proposal to mine sand off Waipū Cove in Bream Bay.

Natalie Jessup, general manager of Tāngaro Tuia te Ora-Endangered Species Foundation, said the potential fast-tracking of sand mining was deeply disappointing.

"This is a heart-breaking blow for Aotearoa's coastline. Bream Bay, like Mangawhai and Pākiri, is home to some of our most vulnerable species, including the critically endangered tara iti [New Zealand fairy tern]. Approving sand mining here is not only environmentally destructive but a betrayal of the communities who have fought to protect these areas for decades."

Jessup said sand was not a critical mineral, because it was neither rare nor facing supply shortages, so should not be included in the fast-track list.

Some projects are notable for their omission from the list.

There had been speculation a $14 million project originally funded by the Provincial Growth Fund to build breakwaters around Paihia, protecting the town from easterly storms, might be included.

That project, however, was abandoned in 2022 not due to consenting difficulties but due to soaring costs. It had also divided the Paihia community.

Another contentious project not on the list is a stalled, PGF-funded boat ramp and reclamation at Rangitane in Kerikeri Inlet.

The Northland list

• Far North housing (applicant: Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Takoto): Development of 140 house sites, water storage and campsite redevelopment.
• Kaikohe housing (Te Hau Ora O Ngāpuhi): 100-unit affordable housing development on Bisset Rd.
• Northport expansion (Northport): New container terminal and wharf extension.
• SH1 Whangārei to Port Marsden Highway (NZTA Waka Kotahi): Four-laning of 22km of SH1 south of Whangārei, including upgrade of the SH1/SH15 intersection.
• SH1 Brynderwyn Hills alternative (NZTA Waka Kotahi): Plan, design and deliver an alternative to the current SH1 over the Brynderwyns.
• Shipyard and drydock (MBIE): Build and operate a marine maintenance facility at Northport capable of servicing Navy ships and New Zealand's biggest vessels.
• Kaikohe wastewater treatment plant upgrade (Far North District Council): Resolve noncompliance and improve the treatment process, and create capacity for planned affordable housing developments.
• Marsden Point rail link (KiwiRail): Build a 19km rail link from Oakleigh, south of Whangārei, to Northport.
• Lake Ōmāpere restoration (Lake Ōmāpere Trust): Restore the mauri [life force] and water quality of Lake Ōmāpere through dredging, wetland construction and water level management.
• Bream Bay sand extraction (McCallum Brothers): Sand mining over a proposed 35-year consent period.
• Muriwhenua aquaculture (Te Aupōuri Fisheries Management): Develop nine marine farms around the top of the Far North.

To see the full list click here.