Simon Court ACT MP and Undersecretary to the Minister for RMA Reform and Infrastructure.
New Zealanders are stuck – and I don’t just mean in traffic.
Across the country, from the Far North to the deep South, infrastructure is failing to meet the needs of hard-working people. Whether you live in Wellington, Ashburton, the West Coast, Bay of Plenty or Northland, you know the story: overpriced homes far from work, clogged roads, broken promises.
It’s holding us back. Families can’t live close to jobs, schools or entertainment. Businesses struggle to base themselves near the workers they need or link efficiently to markets here and abroad.
Why? Because the previous Labour-Green Government cancelled or sabotaged critical roading projects based on a warped ideology that sees cars as evil and climate change as a reason to stop building anything.
They killed four-laning Whangarei to Port Marsden. They canned the East-West Link in Auckland, the next stage of the Waikato Expressway, and Mill Road, which would’ve helped unlock South Auckland’s growth. Billions wasted on rail and cycle projects that delivered next to nothing.
Enough is enough. New Zealanders deserve a shot at something better: more affordable homes, better-paying jobs, and efficient infrastructure to support both.
We’ve seen what’s possible. The Waikato Expressway, started in the 1990s, has transformed that region. Long-term investment in SH1 unlocked billions in private investment, jobs and commercial development. Just look at the Ruakura Superhub, a Tainui Group Holdings initiative: inland port, logistics hub, industrial precinct – connected by rail and highway to Tauranga and Auckland ports.
Now imagine what Northland and Auckland could become with the Northland Corridor Project – a 100km highway connecting Whangarei to Auckland. It’ll open up the west and north of Auckland, reduce freight times, and connect growers and manufacturers in the north to NZ’s largest markets and export gateways.
ACT in Government has committed to delivering the first stage through a public-private partnership (PPP) starting in late 2026. The full route could be finished within a decade – twice as fast as the Waikato Expressway.
The ACT–National coalition agreement includes a commitment to use more PPPs. Why? Because New Zealand can’t afford to wait decades while bureaucrats stall and shovel-ready turns into never-ready. But let’s be clear: even PPPs need funding.
Unlike the Greens, who want to tax and take more, or Te Pati Maori, who scream for race-based separatism – we’re focused on delivering value for all New Zealanders. Not billion-dollar bike bridges. Not ideological virtue signals.
ACT is finding the savings needed to invest where it counts. Last year, ACT Associate Finance Minister David Seymour found $486 million in savings at MBIE. Our Deputy Leader Brooke van Velden slashed $421 million at Internal Affairs. That’s real money, redirected to fund schools, hospitals – and yes, roads.
Kiwis have waited long enough for real infrastructure. Budget 2025 is about building what matters. And with ACT driving, 2026 and beyond will be years of delivery, not delay.
Let’s stop talking – and start building.
