Resolve Group has been helping Auckland Transport with the Transport Network for Growth since August. This programme of projects, previously known as Transport for Future Urban Growth (TFUG) is about creating the new transport networks needed for people living in new growth areas surrounding Auckland’s existing built up area.

By 2043, Auckland is projected to have grown by more than one million people. While the majority of this growth is planned to occur within the existing urban area, 11,000 hectares of greenfields land (including 1400 hectares for new business) has been zoned as “Future Urban” in the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan. These areas are:

• North – Warkworth, Wainui and Silverdale-Dairy Flat
• North-west — Whenuapai, Redhills, Kumeu-Huapai and Riverhead
• South — Takanini, Opaheke-Drury, Drury-West, Paerata and Pukekohe

The cost of constructing the infrastructure associated with the new growth areas is expected to be over eight billion dollars. However, the initial proposal is to ‘route protect’ the corridors from being built over by developers. To do so will require indicative and detailed business cases, which will include feasibility plans and investigation of solutions. Once the engineering and transport planning has been agreed on, the project moves toward resource and land use planners to produce Notice of Requirements and Designations through the RMA process.

At present, Resolve Group is helping Auckland Transport to produce a procurement strategy, request for proposal and contract documentation for professional services to deliver route protection for the transport corridors within the programme. The value of the professional services to be procured is $75m and the timeframe to produce the required outputs is extremely challenging, consequently it is important that we get the best possible procurement encouraging innovation and added value.