Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown proposes second harbour bridge crossing from Pt Chevalier to North Shore

• Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has revealed a proposal for a second harbour crossing – a bridge stretching from Meola Reef to North Shore’s Kauri Pt.
• A local North Shore leader says he does not agree with the plan but does want to find alternatives to the originally proposed tunnel.
• There are concerns about the impacts the proposed bridge could pose on the Kauri Point Reserve and Meola Reef.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is urging the Government to build a second harbour bridge between Pt Chevalier and the North Shore as a cheaper alternate crossing option.

In a recently published column, the Auckland leader has revealed a plan to use the naturally existing lava flow at Meola Reef to support a new Waitematā Harbour crossing that would link across the water at Kauri Pt.

A local North Shore leader has said it is good the mayor was “thinking outside the box” but he “definitely” did not agree with the proposed plan. And the proposal has also been condemned as “incredibly destructive” by councillor Julie Fairey.

In an opinion piece in the Sunday Star Times, Brown said the new proposed bridge would cost a fraction of the price of the tunnel.

“The bridge would be less than 8% of the tunnel cost, and the land sales would cover that cost, so there’s a challenge to the bureaucrats: a free bridge to a new area that will reduce pressure on the existing route or a ridiculously expensive tunnel that won’t reduce congestion at all.”

He claimed the existing bridge does not cause congestion; instead, it is in the roads surrounding the bridge. Brown claimed that because the new bridge would have entry and exit points in separate areas, it would be the key to reducing congestion.

North Shore councillor Richard Hills said it was good the mayor was looking “outside the box”.

However, Hills added: “We agree on a lot but definitely not on this.

“He does bring up a good point that we need to be considering far more affordable options for future crossings across the harbour.”

Councillor Richard Hills said he liked Wayne Brown's creativity, but he did not think the bridge would get consented. Photo / Alexia Russell

Hills said the option would be “impossible to consent” due to the environmental implications of the project, given it would be crossing over Meola Reef.

He also said there would have to be extensive consultations with local iwi due to the encroachment on historical reserves like Kauri Point.

The original plan for the new harbour crossing was crafted under the Labour Government and unveiled in August 2023. They said it would take decades to build and would cost $56 billion.

It was continuously rejected by major transport bodies, who had worked to come up with cheaper alternatives.

Concerns disrupted suburb could face more upheaval - Pt Chev resident

Pt Chevalier resident Miriyana Alexander said those living in the suburb were already experiencing significant disruptions in the community with the Meola Rd closures and restrictions affecting surrounding streets.

This potential crossing could lead to even more disruptions that residents were “deeply unhappy about”.

But Alexander said these proposed plans weren’t thinking outside the box enough.

“It’s long overdue, the horse has already bolted and we needed this [a second harbour crossing] 20-plus years ago.”

Alexander said Brown’s plans didn’t appear to take full advantage of the beautiful harbour.

“Why can’t we have more ferries? Surely we have the opportunity to make use of our harbour city like Sydney does.

“We are so boring when it comes to our city planning.”

Alexander said as our population continued to grow, we needed more innovative thinking.

‘Incredibly destructive’: Auckland councillors oppose new plans

Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa ward councillor Julie Fairey said she is strongly opposed to Brown’s new bridge plan.

“I don’t think it’s a good thing for Pt Chev locals or Aucklanders in general, we need to invest in other projects that are much higher priority.”

Fairey called the plan “incredibly destructive” saying we didn’t need a bridge in that specific location.

“I would much rather have a bridge that would allow for increased use of public transport modes.”

Auckland’s Albert-Eden ward Councillor Christine Fletcher said, “Wayne has got everyone up in arms over this proposal. He is known to be a contrarian”.

Fletcher said Brown could be highlighting the need to “seriously address value for money and the importance of advancing a 30-year Integrated Transport Plan for Auckland.

“What it highlights is the importance of getting bi-partisan support for a 30 infrastructure plan for New Zealand and then just get on with it rather than wasting time and money.”

What problems will this plan solve for Auckland?

During the election, National campaigned on the importance of a second crossing for Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour to reduce congestion, provide additional options for commuters on both sides of the harbour and address capacity pressures on the ageing Auckland Harbour Bridge.

National anticipated starting work on a new crossing by the end of the decade that, at a minimum, would provide more road connections between the North Shore and the CBD.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown has yet to reveal any more plans for the new crossing and said in February they would not be rushing decisions as it was “the most significant land transport project in New Zealand history”.

AA Transport Policy Director Martin Glynn said: “It’s really important to look at all our options as this is such a big call to make. What reasons or problems will this plan from Wayne actually solve?”

Glynn said he understands the new bridge plan will likely involve a potential toll charge.

The tunnel plan would positively free up space on the harbour bridge for public transport options such as buses, Glynn said.

He said that the “mayor is right the tunnel won’t help with traffic, it won’t reduce congestion at all”.

The current resilience of the bridge in high winds needs to be addressed as we look into the near future, he said.

“The motorway on the North Shore side will need to be raised due to climate change and rising sea levels, it is high maintenance and we need to sort something.”

Wayne Brown has been approached for additional comments.

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