“2026 is the Year!”
By Chris Penk, MP for Kaipara ki Mahurangi
I’m delighted to share with you that I strongly expect that 2026 will be the most significant year for infrastructure in northwest Auckland in decades.
I thought it would be timely to run through some of the major issues that I’ve been working on - as your local MP, in close contact with the current government.
While it would be easy to focus on the past, bemoaning decisions that led to a lack of infrastructure delivery, more useful will be an explanation of the way ahead. I will point out, however, that I see one of my key roles as advocating to authorities that we don’t repeat the errors of the past.
Into this category falls the issue of planning residential development in flood prone areas. And of course we also need to be mindful of the effects of the industrial and commercial built environment, along with roads and railway lines, on stormwater flows.
Auckland Council has taken an enlightened view on this issue since the major flooding events of 2023 and I’ll continue to support them in that. Locals will also recall the huge flooding of August 2021 and surely share my view that we can’t allow any more developments that don’t at least “wash their own face” in terms of systems that shift large volumes of stormwater away from Helensville and surrounding areas.
And now let’s catch up on the key items needed as we play catch up on many years of a lack of planning and infrastructure delivery:
An additional High School
Other than transport-related issues, the need for an additional high school in northwest Auckland is probably the single issue most often raised with me. It’s simply a numbers game, with massive population growth and the addition of primary school classrooms (and a whole new primary school in the case of Matua Ngaru).
I have been asking the Ministry of Education to take this issue seriously since I became the MP for this area and spoken publicly, in Parliament and in the media about it too.
I’m delighted that the Minister of Education, my colleague and friend Erica Stanford, has been taking a close interest in the matter. We discuss it often.
Once we (finally!) have the necessary parcel of land secured, the remainder of the new school logistics should be relatively quick. These days it’s possible to use modern methods of construction to get classrooms and the other necessary buildings onto new school sites very quickly. The most likely timing for a significant announcement about what’s happening here is next month.
SH16 works
After years of good intentions to widen SH16 to allow extra lanes between Brigham Creek and Kumeu / Huapai, this crucial project has now finally been funded.
Plans to do the widening work and place a roundabout at the intersection of SH16 with Coatesville-Riverhead Highway have existed for years. Most importantly, though, the project has recently been given priority in the form of the necessary funding to actually make it happen!
Without dwelling unduly on the past, I’ll point out that it’s been hugely disappointing that this important project wasn’t completed on its original timeline (completion by the end of 2021!) and it will be important that we don’t lose momentum once the works begin. These will inevitably be disruptive so patience will be needed, as well as a good plan to minimise delays and promote alternate routes.
I will be advocating for careful measures to ensure that we don’t have an unnecessarily high usages of road cones and stop/go signs making life harder than it needs to be. And that the works happen quickly once underway.
Kumeu Bypass
The real game changer will be the Kumeu Bypass, however. Again it’s something that’s been talked about for many years. And again we now finally have tangible progress!
Officially named the “Alternative State Highway 16”, the route is well known and affected property owners are aware of these intentions.
The tangible progress of the past year or so has been inclusion of the Kumeu Bypass in the government’s suite of “Roads of National Significance”. This gives the project a status of priority when it comes to ensuring as quick a passage as possible.
Naturally we need to be mindful of the rights of residents and business owners whose land will be acquired for the road. A fair process to negotiate and compensate for the land needs to take place for constituents. It’s my role as local MP to support that as needed, along with the overarching desire of the community to de-congest our roads.
Northwest Express Busway
It’s also been a priority for me to help provide public transport solutions for the area, acknowledging that selecting bus routes on our current roads is the responsibility of local government (think Auckland Transport with input from the Rodney Local Board).
A dedicated, separated northwest busway is under construction at Westgate now … with arrangements being made to provide a connecting transport solution for residents of Kumeu and surrounding areas. This will help congestion on SH16 hugely, just as the popular and well-patronised northern express busway on the north shore has relieved pressure on the Harbour Bridge significantly.
I was delighted to join the Transport Minister, being my colleague and friend Chris Bishop, and Mayor Wayne Brown for the official “sod turning” ceremony to mark it getting underway last year.
While full completion of this project will take some time, the “staged approach” being taken will ensure some benefits in terms of congestion and travel time will be realised in the short term.
Here I should note that, while I pushed for a long time for passenger rail to be made available to extend the current (double-tracked, electrified) western line that ends at Swanson, the new dedicated busway should make a positive difference in much the same way as a train service would have.
Helensville Show – 28 February 2026
Finally, I will just add that there are many great community events planned for our area this year. Not strictly infrastructure-related but important to note for the health and heart of the community. Please be sure to come and have a chat at my local MP stand at the Helensville Show in just over a month.
I began by sharing my expectation and hope that 2026 will be the most significant year for infrastructure in northwest Auckland in decades. I certainly will be working hard, as your local MP, to ensure that we get significant progress on all these projects. And I’ll keep you posted with regular updates on it all.
For now, take care and I look forward to seeing you out there!
