KEY POINTS:
National Party leader John Key is not saying which "roads of national significance" will receive his funding largesse - but infrastructure investors have a wish-list of almost $11 billion for the North Island alone.
Top of the Council for Infrastructure Development's list for raising infrastructure loans proposed by Mr Key is the $1.9 billion Waterview motorway tunnels project in Auckland.
The Government admits it would be very difficult to afford from road taxes and appointed a working party to consider whether a public-private partnership (PPP) could be formed to build the project without leaving a huge debt to generations of taxpayers and motorists.
A report has since been forwarded to Transport Minister Annette King and awaits Cabinet consideration.
Another early priority for council chief executive Stephen Selwood - a member of the Waterview working party - is the $1.3 billion Ameti package of roading and other transport improvements which the Auckland and Manukau city councils want to develop between Pakuranga and Mt Wellington.
But by far the the most ambitious Auckland project will be a $4-5 billion set of motorway and rail tunnels beneath Waitemata Harbour, although Mr Selwood does not believe they will be needed for about 15 years.
Although the Auckland Business Forum is concerned at likely delays in building a replacement Newmarket Viaduct for $187 million and a motorway tunnel under Victoria Park for $330 million, these are loosely included in existing Government funding commitments.
Auckland projects already under way include the $230 million Manukau Harbour duplicate crossing, and motorway extensions on the western ring route.
But Mr Selwood says Tauranga desperately needs a $600 million package of motorways and other strategic roads, and the Waikato needs at least that much again to complete the State Highway 1 expressway between Rangiriri and Cambridge.
He points to a $600 million shortfall in funds for Wellington's Transmission Gully motorway project and up to $500 million for an improved link from Ngauranga Gorge to the capital's airport through new tunnels under The Terrace and Mt Victoria.
Assorted other state highway improvements - including improving Auckland's link to Northland - would account for another $1 billion.
Mr Selwood acknowledged that traffic volumes had eased recently against high fuel prices, but said New Zealand would always need good roads and was lagging behind many other countries in infrastructure development. National proposes to borrow up to $750 million a year more than Labour for infrastructure and plans to introduce a new category of state highway called "roads of national significance" to fast-track planning approval.
