Up to 630 properties may be impacted by the construction of an 18km Airport to Botany busway project, with many set to be compulsorily acquired.
The figures were released to the Herald by Auckland Transport (AT) yesterday after it announced the route for a new dedicated busway has been locked in following appeals.
The number of affected properties appears to have jumped by about 150 since 2022, when 475 property owners along the planned route received letters saying their property was affected by the draft designation boundary.
Homes now identified as lying in the planned route are having notifications added to their LIM reports, which some owners impacted by the project have previously believed would impact property values.
AT said about 220 full properties and about 410 partial properties, mostly road frontages, were potentially now affected.
It includes a mix of residential, commercial, Kāinga Ora, Auckland Council and Crown land.
The agency announced this week that the route for a new dedicated busway has been confirmed after appeals were resolved.
An AT spokesperson said all impacted property owners had been informed and the process had involved extensive consultation. Independent commissioners made the final decision.
“Where land is ultimately required for widening existing transport corridors, it will be acquired under the Public Works Act with full and fair compensation.”
AT said the final property requirements would be confirmed at the design stage once funding was in place.
The agency said yesterday it was committed to clear, early and ongoing communication as the project progressed.
Funding was only in place for stage two of the project. The budget for this stage was $52 million.
“Because there is no funding for detailed design or construction of the full busway project, Auckland Transport is not purchasing any property yet and no budget has yet been allocated for this.
“This means landowners can continue to use their properties as they do now. Land will only be acquired when it is actually required for works, generally around two years before construction starts.”
The spokesperson said there was “no firm date” on when construction would begin.
The agency said funding for future stages has not yet been confirmed. It would be sought in 2028 through the Regional Land Transport Plan, which was updated every three years.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said he hadn’t been briefed on the project by AT.
“Designating land for future improvements is part of a long-term process and my expectation is that AT and the NZTA [NZ Transport Agency] continue to engage meaningfully with those impacted.”
AT’s Andy Huang said “hard planning” to decide the best route, identify the properties required and get a designation in place was complete.
“Confirming route protection is a major milestone towards delivering bus rapid transit between the airport, Manukau city centre and Botany that supports Auckland’s growth and provides reliable travel options.”
He said the journey would take 34 to 38 minutes between Botany and the airport on buses separated from other traffic.
The plan was to deliver the project in stages and Puhinui Station was already open.
The next stages, subject to funding, would be the delivery phase, developing detailed designs, acquiring properties and then building the busway.
“Aucklanders consistently tell us they want a transport system that is convenient, well connected and accessible, whether they’re travelling by car, bus, train, ferry, bike or on foot,” Huang said.
“The Airport to Botany busway delivers on that vision, connecting the rapid transit network by linking to the Eastern Busway at Botany and the rail network at Puhinui. It will link key residential and employment hubs in South and East Auckland with a dedicated corridor for rapid transit, while also supporting walking and cycling.”
Auckland Airport’s Mary-Liz Tuck said this was another step towards a more connected Auckland.
“Right now, most travellers and airport workers, around 40,000 people a day, rely on private vehicles to reach the airport. But as the city grows to nearly 2.5 million by 2048, having reliable, safe and efficient public transport links will be essential.”
Route stations would connect to the rail network at the Puhinui and Manukau stations, and with the Eastern Busway at the Botany interchange.
The project comes amid plans for an 18km Northwestern Busway, which is still years away from being built and estimated to cost billions of dollars, and the City Rail Link train network, which is due to open later this year at a cost of about $5.5 billion.
Previous Herald reporting has canvassed the potential impact for residents who were fearing compulsory acquisition.
Botany property owner, architect and author Ali Shakir, discussed the situation he was facing at the time in a 2022 Herald article, and how a displacement could be detrimental to the mental health of residents, many of whom were migrants.
Shakir lost his family home in Iraq in 2006, and was heavily affected after being told that his property was required for the busway.
“I, for one, haven’t been able to sleep or eat normally. I suffer nightmares and panic attacks on a daily basis and can no longer write. It’s like being thrown back to square one with my healing path.”
Herald attempts to contact Shakir yesterday were unsuccessful.
AT says Shakir’s property is no longer affected following changes to the busway designation.
This story has been updated to clarify that Ali Shakir’s property is no longer impacted due to changes to the busway designation.
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