Was any alternative to designation assessed for the Te Tupu Ngātahi Supporting Growth North projects; if so, what was the assessed whole-of-life cost of each option, if any?

Answer

A detailed business case was developed for the Te Tupu Ngātahi Supporting Growth North projects. As part of that work, alternative approaches to protecting the required transport corridors were considered, including mechanisms other than designation. However, no whole-of-life cost assessment was undertaken for these alternative protection mechanisms. The business case did consider the benefits of route protection and drew on wider evidence, including work by the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, which identified strong value in protecting future transport corridors even where there is uncertainty about the timing of project delivery.