Northlanders call on Government to fast-track alternative route after fresh Brynderwyns slip

Pressure is mounting on the Government to get an alternative Brynderwyns bypass route started after a huge slip delayed its reopening by weeks.

State Highway 1 at the gateway to Northland was expected to reopen on May 13 after what was meant to be a 10-week closure to repair the road following a slew of bad weather, including Cyclone Gabrielle.

However, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi [NZTA] can no longer predict how much longer work will take after a fresh slip brought down a “substantial amount” of earth and trees at the site on Wednesday.

NZTA SH1 Brynderwyn Hills project director Mark Ware said it was still too early to say how the latest slip had impacted the timeline but confirmed it will be weeks, not days.

“Our experts are assessing the situation and we will confirm details as soon as we can.”

And though there is no timeline for an alternative route, the Government has promised to investigate the use of private finance to “accelerate the construction of this [bypass] project”.

Kaitaia Business Association chairman Josh Kirby was disappointed by the delay but said the slip was not unexpected.

“It goes to show the current resilient works really are short to medium-term and we must be focusing on a long-term solution.”

Kirby said the hill was unstable so he wouldn’t be surprised if further slips occur.

Last November the Government committed to building a four-lane highway alternative to the slip-prone Brynderwyn Hills.

During a site visit in March, Transport Minister Simeon Brown said planning was in the early stages and work would begin within 10 years.

Brown said the Government commitment to building a four-laned highway alternative for the Brynderwyns is an important part of the National-NZ First coalition agreement, and one they will deliver for Northland.

“As part of this agreement, we will investigate the use of private finance to accelerate the construction of this project.”

But Kirby said 10 years is too long.

“We can’t wait around for eight or nine years before they start on an expressway.

“There needs to be a long-term solution in the planning phase now and this slip in the Brynderwyns speaks to that.”

Northland Inc chief executive Paul Linton said a four-lane expressway all the way from Auckland to Whangārei and beyond needed to be finished within five years.

“We have to have that road open, and we have to have a new road around the Brynderwyns as soon as possible.

“The financial and social impact on our businesses and community is massive.”

A Northland Inc economic impact report found the effects of the repeated Brynderwyns closures bled the region of $1.94 million a day for the 58 days it was closed last year, to a total of at least $112.8m.

Northland Corporate Group [NCG] spokesman Lindsay Faithful said a recent survey found the cost to Northland businesses was closer to $14m a day.

The Te Tai Tokerau Northland Expressway report, commissioned by NCG, found a four-lane highway between Northland and Auckland would increase Northland’s GDP by $2.1 billion per year by 2048.

The expressway would also boost GDP in the rest of the country by an estimated $1.2 billion.

“The continued closures underline how important it is to Northlanders,” Faithful said.

“Whether it’s the coffee operator on the side of the road or the Treaty Grounds, they really notice the drop in numbers.”

Faithful said his grandfather, a World War I veteran, worked on the Brynderwyns as a civil contractor in the 1930s with two draught horses pulling a scoop.

“His understanding was it was only ever meant to be a temporary road.

“The longer we’re exposed to relying on the Brynderwyns the more fragile we’ll be.”

Far North Mayor Moko Tepania said any delays in reopening the Brynderwyns had a huge economic and social impact for Northlanders.

“When the Brynderwyns do reopen we need to know they will be resilient and aren’t going to close over winter.”

Tepania said Northland urgently needed a bypass.

“We need this government to make this the biggest roading priority in the nation, so we can ensure the 200,000 people who call Northland home can have a safe and reliable connection to Auckland and the rest of the country.”

Jenny Ling is a news reporter and features writer for the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering roading, lifestyle, business, and animal welfare issues.