Mill Rd Highway Land Acquisitions Surge as Project’s Future Remains Unclear

The four-lane Mill Rd highway in South Auckland has been in planning since at least 2008, with a $2 billion price tag now estimated between $1.75 billion and $2.05 billion. The National Party pledged $1 billion during its 2017 election campaign, while Labour later earmarked $1.35 billion in 2020 and allocated $91 million for design work. Despite these commitments, the government has repeatedly deferred construction, most recently classifying stage 1 as “pre-implementation” and noting that building can only begin when funding is secured.

The New Zealand Herald

Public records show the Crown has moved to acquire 287 properties needed for the first stage. By mid-2020 the government had spent $131 million on purchases. Since June of the previous year, the Crown snapped up 14 whole properties—up from just two deals in the prior four years. Formal notices were issued to 95 private owners, and 56 compensation agreements have been signed. Planners report that 68 of the 73 full blocks required are now under Crown control.

The New Zealand Herald

Homeowners and tenants along the proposed corridor face prolonged uncertainty. Redoubt Rd resident Taro Joy, who bought his home in 2017, describes a nine-month negotiation over a strip of land, a vacant flat after tenants left, and fears that even a completed deal could be followed by another decade of delay. Other owners have resorted to demolishing and rebuilding homes further back on their sections to retain occupancy. Tenants report having to sell livestock because they do not know when eviction notices might arrive. South Auckland councillor Daniel Newman characterises the situation as “a state of miserable uncertainty” and stresses that the adjacent Southern Motorway functions as a “car park” during peak hours, harming economic productivity.

The New Zealand Herald

Transport Minister Chris Bishop said on July 9 that “as funding becomes available, these projects can progress to construction,” without specifying a timeline. An NZTA spokeswoman confirmed stage 1 remains in the pre-implementation phase, with ongoing design, consenting and supporting activities, and pledged to keep directly affected landowners updated while acknowledging the uncertainty created by land-acquisition notices.

The New Zealand Herald

• “As funding becomes available, these projects can progress to construction,” — Transport Minister Chris Bishop — Transport Minister Chris Bishop, on the conditional nature of project funding.

The New Zealand Herald