Investing in proactive resilience improvements that will protect the transport network and keep our communities connected, now and in the future.
The severe weather events of 2023 highlighted how crucial it is to invest in early preventative works to protect our transport network. The Crown Resilience Programme (previously the Transport Resilience Fund) is a $419 million investment package of resilience improvement activities that will reduce the impact of severe weather events on our national roading networks. This will ensure a more resilient and efficient network now and into the future. The total crown resilience programme comprises $279 million for activities on State Highways, and $140 million for activities on Local Roads.
This seven-year programme aims to advance proactive resilience improvements on the roading network to minimise the future damage caused to New Zealand roads by weather events, which have been increasing in frequency and severity.
This funding recognises the importance of our state highways as lifeline and freight connections between communities.
A key feature of the 2024-27 delivery programme is the adoption of the recently released NZTA National Resilience Tool.
The National Resilience Tool has been developed as a mechanism to better manage risk nationally and provide a framework for prioritising parts of the network most in need of proactive resilience improvements. The National Resilience Tool uses the following to prioritise resilience risk:
The use of this tool in planning out 2024-27 CRP investment ensures that the highest priority resilience outcomes nationally will be invested in and delivered to minimise disruption.
$100 million has been allocated to low-cost, low-risk (LCLR) projects. These are small resilience projects where the intervention is not complex and are likely to cost $2 million or less per project. These will be delivered over the next four years and can start immediately.
Examples of LCLR projects include mesh installation to prevent rockfalls, stabilising slips, improving drainage, protecting against erosion and upgrading culverts.
$179 million has been allocated to a package of small-to-medium resilience projects that address flooding, land instability and coastal issues.
The types of projects are likely to be at more complex risk sites and are likely to cost more than $2 million per project. A business case is required for any project over $2 million. They will be delivered over the next seven years.
Examples of these types of projects could include green solutions, sea walls and stop banks, reinforced soil slopes, concrete pile walls, improved drainage (culverts, bridges), raising of road levels, improved revetments or armouring, realignments, erosion control systems.
The second tranche of proactive projects on state highways are set to begin this year (2024), and includes planning phases for activities that are proposed for the 24-27 programme of work.
Confirmed state highway projects 2024/27 [PDF, 335 KB]
Progress summary map [PDF, 410 KB]
The local roads allocation will fund the small, ‘quick-win’ proactive resilience projects on local roads.
To streamline funding processes and reduce pressure for our council partners, we have used the regional land transport plan (RLTP) process for councils to signal potential projects for the Transport Resilience Fund. A further tranche of activities will be sought and approved for the 2027-30 period using the same mechanism.
The $140 million allocation over 7 years will fund small-to-medium projects that target the reduced disruption for communities.
Local road activities are often on lower traffic volume roads which affect significantly fewer users - the disruption consequence is more related to the risks associated with a complete loss of access (single road access communities with no detours), or the length of time to reinstate (more vulnerable assets).
