The freight industry and the top advocacy group for employers and manufacturers has lauded the National Party's announcement it will build four lane highways from Whangārei to Tauranga.
But others - such as the Green Party - say it's "nonsensical" and inappropriate in the context of climate change, while others say the cost estimates are too low.
It follows National revealing that it would invest $24 billion into the project, which it has called Transport for the Future. It also includes other transport links, including in the South Island.
The full policy document is available here.
The plan would include alternate sources of funding to Crown expenditure, such as tolls and value capture - where developers who benefit from new infrastructure contribute to the cost. It would also cancel some existing projects, such as Let's Get Wellington Moving.
Today, in Hamilton, National leader Christopher Luxon responded to criticism from Transport Minister David Parker that the costings for the project didn't add up.
Luxon said he was "very comfortable" with the price tag. He said the party had used publicly available costings for all of the projects.
"We’ve actually taken the upper band of that, and we’ve also built contingency into it."
He said the new or expanded roads would "actually unlock more growth for the provinces" and create an "economic powerhouse".
"If you think about something like State Highway 29 from Tauranga to Hamilton, that will create huge amounts of opportunity in residential houses, tens of thousands, it will also create opportunities in commercial property as well. It will actually bring life into new regions and new areas of New Zealand.
Employers and Manufacturers' Association (EMA) head of advocacy, strategy and finance Alan McDonald said National's transport policy would go a long way to unlocking potential economic growth in Northland while also enhancing freight movement between our three major North Island ports.
He said much of National's announcement reflected the EMA's position on "much needed" infrastructure to support economic growth, freight and people movement across the upper North Island.
He said there were still some gaps in the policy that the EMA would have liked to have seen addressed earlier such as a fourth main rail line for Auckland - "which should be being built now to support freight and public transport," - and the stretch of state highway from Wellsford over the Brynderwyn Hills and on to Marsden Point.
"The commitment to using tolls, congestion charging and other funding and financing tools to get this programme underway more quickly and continue to fund new infrastructure is also welcome."
Freight industry body National Road Carriers Association (NRC) also supported the policy.
Chief executive officer Justin Tighe-Umbers said he applauded the National Party’s "approach of stopping wasteful spending on non-essential nice-to-haves such as traffic-slowing judder bars", and projects that "don’t focus enough on productivity" such as Let’s get Wellington Moving and light rail to Auckland Airport.
“We need to get roading back to a place where the freight industry can efficiently and effectively deliver goods and services for the benefit of citizens and our export economy.
"Efficient roading contributes to emissions reduction because there is less congestion. If we build once and build right, it will enable the economy to transition to low emissions and deliver all the goods and services we need.”
Tighe-Umbers said NRC members paid a "massive" contribution to roading through road user charges, but they were not against road tolls and congestion charges if they delivered results.
“Right now, we are losing millions of dollars in productivity each day due to poor roading. We want to free the National Land Transport Fund to focus on roading.”
Tauranga City Council commission chairwoman Anne Tolley - a former National MP - said while there was a need for more detail about the timeframes and costs of the proposal, it was a good fit with the council’s priorities.
She said an investment programme which would link the North Island’s economic powerhouses with an efficient highway system made sense and would also facilitate homes, jobs and development, as well as improved safety and resilience.
Wellington mayor Tory Whanau - a former Green Party chief of staff - said seeing National "revert back [sic] to its same old roads policy for Wellington" was disappointing.
"It will do nothing to grow the city, make it more liveable, or tackle the climate crisis.
"I urge the National Party to talk to all the experts who have been advising Wellington not give up and to keep pushing forward. That to me is an inspiring vision for our future."
She also told NZME National's policy was a "flaccid vision".
National was proposing a second Mt Victoria tunnel in the capital.
Green Party transport spokeswoman Julie Ann Genter said the National Party had a visionless obsession with highways.
“The time is now to prioritise smart, green, transport infrastructure that will benefit communities. What National has proposed is completely nonsensical, and will make pollution and congestion worse.
“You cannot build your way out of traffic congestion by making more roads. The more you build, the more people drive.
She said the policy had the potential to set New Zealand’s climate progress back decades.
“There are much better options for moving people and freight. We need to be connecting our towns and cities with more reliable and frequent public transport.
She said the Green Party would invest in nationwide rapid rail for passengers, and rail and coastal shipping for freight, to connect regions and major cities, and contribute to economic development, and decarbonisation.
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