A proposed replacement highway through Northland’s Brynderwyn Hills is facing fresh criticism, with conservation group Forest & Bird warning the project could become an expensive infrastructure mistake while threatening some of Aotearoa’s rarest native wildlife.
Forest & Bird is calling on the Government to reconsider the preferred route for the Alternative to the Brynderwyn Hills highway, arguing that the proposed alignment exposes taxpayers to significant geological risks while cutting through environmentally sensitive native forest.
The project is part of the Government’s wider Northland Corridor programme, designed to improve transport connections between Auckland and Whangārei, strengthen freight routes and reduce the disruption caused by severe weather.
However, Forest & Bird says the proposed route could repeat some of the same problems that have plagued the existing State Highway 1 crossing.
Landslide Risks Raise Questions Over New Route
The Brynderwyn Hills have experienced repeated road closures and major slips, including significant damage following Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023.
Those disruptions have affected businesses, freight operators, commuters and communities across Northland.
The Government and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi have identified improving transport resilience as a major reason for developing an alternative highway.
But Forest & Bird says the preferred route, running south of the existing highway, would cross similarly challenging geological terrain.
The organisation points to NZTA’s own fast-track application, which acknowledges major geotechnical risks, widespread landslides and natural slope instability.
Forest & Bird Northland regional conservation manager Dean Baigent-Mercer says those findings raise serious questions about whether the proposed highway would deliver the long-term resilience Northland needs.
The organisation argues that building another expensive road through unstable terrain could expose taxpayers to significant construction and maintenance costs.
Threat to Rare Native Wildlife
Environmental concerns are also mounting over the proposed route, which Forest & Bird says would cut through steep areas of old-growth native forest.
The affected habitat supports several threatened and protected native species, including long-tailed bats, Hochstetter’s frogs, copper skinks, kauri snails and glowworms.
Hochstetter’s frogs are among New Zealand’s most threatened native amphibians, with the Brynderwyn population considered important for the species’ survival.
Forest & Bird warns that construction could destroy frog habitat and threaten critically endangered long-tailed bats through vegetation clearance and disruption to their roosting areas.
The organisation says these environmental risks must be properly assessed before decisions are made about the highway’s future.
Billions at Stake for Northland Corridor
The financial implications extend beyond the Brynderwyn replacement itself.
Indicative costs for the wider Te Hana-to-Whangārei section of the Northland Corridor have been estimated at between $15.3 billion and $18.3 billion.
Forest & Bird says the scale of the investment demands greater scrutiny, particularly when major infrastructure projects are competing for limited public funding.
The conservation group is concerned that the Government’s fast-track approval process may restrict opportunities for public examination of environmental and engineering risks.
It argues that decisions involving billions of dollars should be supported by transparent assessments of geological stability, environmental impacts and alternative routes.
The concerns come as the country faces competing demands for investment in housing, healthcare, education and infrastructure.
What About Northland’s Māori Communities?
The debate also has implications for iwi, hapū and Māori communities across Te Tai Tokerau.
Reliable transport connections are essential for access to healthcare, education, employment, tourism and the movement of goods throughout Northland.
Road closures can isolate communities and increase travel costs for whānau and businesses.
At the same time, major infrastructure projects can affect whenua, waterways, native forests and sites of cultural significance.
The project’s fast-track assessment includes consideration of Treaty settlement obligations and advice from agencies responsible for conservation and cultural heritage.
The challenge is ensuring that infrastructure improvements address Northland’s transport needs while appropriately considering environmental impacts and the interests of affected tangata whenua.
Government Says Highway Is Critical to Regional Growth
NZ Transport Agency maintains that the Northland Corridor is intended to improve road safety, reduce congestion, strengthen transport resilience and support economic development.
The agency says the Alternative to the Brynderwyn Hills remains a priority because of the vulnerability of the existing State Highway 1 route.
The wider programme is expected to proceed in stages, with detailed design and construction dependent on funding decisions.
NZTA has continued progressing route protection through the fast-track process.
The application is being considered through an independent expert panel, with technical and environmental advice forming part of the assessment.
Is the Proposed Highway the Right Solution?
Forest & Bird is not disputing the need for a more reliable transport connection between Auckland and Northland.
Instead, it is questioning whether the preferred route represents the most environmentally responsible and financially sustainable solution.
The organisation wants the Government to examine the risks before committing to a project that could carry substantial long-term costs.
For Northland communities, the issue is about more than building a new road.
It is about ensuring that public investment delivers safer, more reliable transport without creating avoidable environmental damage or repeating the geological problems of the existing highway.
With billions of dollars potentially at stake, the Government faces growing calls to demonstrate that its preferred Brynderwyn replacement will provide the resilience Northland needs while protecting taxpayers and the region’s precious natural environment.
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