Auckland Transport says any future funding for transport projects related to the redevelopment of Drury will have to be looked at as part of the next Regional Land Transport Plan which will be signed off in 2021.
An artist's impression of the new town centre Kiwi Property is planning to build in Drury, south of Auckland. Photo: Supplied
But it is remaining tight-lipped on the potential impact the proposed growth south of the city could have on its future budgets.
Plans to open up Drury for massive development projects by Oyster Capital, Fulton Hogan and Kiwi Property are now one step closer and could transform the area over the next 30 years. The companies are seeking to increase the amount of residential, commercial and retail development in the area with three private plan changes.
They are collectively planning to rezone approximately 330 hectares of land in the Drury East area from future urban to a mix of residential, business and open space zones.
Auckland Council's Planning Committee voted last week to accept the private plan change requests and they will now go out for public consultation.
A spokesperson for Auckland Transport (AT) said any transport projects required to support future urban growth would still have to be considered on a regional basis as part of the 10-year Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP).
And AT it is continuing to work with the Auckland Council, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and KiwiRail to come up with an integrated approach to transport and development in Auckland.
"Projects in Drury will need to be considered against those other projects across the region," they said.
But they said because the proposed plan changes by Oyster Capital, Fulton Hogan and Kiwi Property have not yet been publicly notified it is too early for AT to comment on the development proposals.
However, the funding issues involved have not gone unnoticed by Auckland Council.
A report to last week's Planning Committee said the funding and provision of transport infrastructure was one of the most significant issues related to the plan changes.
According to the report to support the government's $12 billion NZ Upgrade Programme, a number of the other projects AT is expected to fund would need to be brought forward, despite the fact a number of them don't have funding.
"Assuming NZTA pay half of the local roading infrastructure, there is an estimated shortfall in funding of around $600m across Drury East and West, for transport-related projects for the total build-out at Drury."
The Auckland Unitary Plan (AUP) requires transport infrastructure to be "planned, funded and staged to integrate with urban growth".
The fact Oyster Capital, Fulton Hogan and Kiwi Property are trying to bring forward development in Drury means AT will have to provide the funding for transport infrastructure to support it.
The government announced funding for the NZ Upgrade Programme in January. It features a number of major transport projects in the area, including a new Drury railway station, the Mill Road project, electrification of the rail lines between Papakura and Pukekohe and widening of SH1 between Drury and Papakura.
