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Plans for a long-term alternative to the Brynderwyn Hills route are moving into a critical next phase, with agencies preparing to begin formal “route protection” for the transport corridor next year.
Project leaders say the dotted yellow line shown on current maps marks only the boundary of the preferred route, not the final road alignment. A wide range of potential options still sit within that boundary, and further work is underway to narrow down exactly where the road will eventually go.
Before any route is confirmed, the team is completing landowner engagement, geotechnical and environmental studies, and detailed design work. Once this work is finished, the project will move into the route protection stage, securing the land required through the legal Notice of Requirement (NoR) process.
A NZ Transport Agency spokesperson said route protection provided certainty for landowners and ensured that future planning could proceed with confidence.
“It also allows the project to safeguard enough land to accommodate further investigations and the additional space needed during construction for access, stormwater systems, laydown areas and environmental mitigation,” they said.
The project team emphasises that the area currently shown is not the final footprint that will be designated.
“We are refining the corridor through ongoing environmental and geotechnical investigations and individual conversations with landowners.”
The first NoR, covering the Alternative to the Brynderwyn Hills, identified as the most urgent resilience priority, is expected to be lodged by mid next year. The remaining sections of the corridor between Te Hana and Whangārei are scheduled for NoR lodgement later in 2026. Updated maps will be released at that time.
Once lodged, applications will be processed under the Fast-track Approvals Act.
Meanwhile, the project’s ecology team has been monitoring bat and lizard activity in the Brynderwyn Hills area. Bat monitoring involves placing acoustic recorders in trees for around six weeks to capture ultrasonic calls, helping identify habitat locations and flight paths. Lizard surveys use small tiles placed near grass or bush edges, checked regularly over the same period.
Data gathered will guide measures to avoid, minimise or manage environmental impacts during future design and construction.
Landowners will receive confirmation of any property impacts about one month before the NoR is lodged for each section.
