National Party – Party Overview
Last updated: 3 August 2026
The New Zealand National Party is the country’s main centre-right political party and leads the current National–ACT–New Zealand First coalition Government.
National traditionally presents transport policy through the lenses of economic growth, infrastructure delivery, travel reliability, road safety, value for money and improved connections between communities and markets.
Since returning to government in late 2023, National’s transport message has increasingly focused on delivery and system reform. That includes major road construction, road maintenance, public transport and rail investment, changes to the way transport is funded, reform of Auckland’s transport governance and updates to everyday transport rules.
National’s position heading into the 2026 General Election differs from that of an opposition party. It is not only publishing ideas for a future government; it is already responsible for many of the laws, funding decisions and projects shaping New Zealand’s transport system.
That means National’s transport record needs to be assessed in two distinct parts:
What the National-led Government has already announced, funded, legislated or begun delivering.
What the National Party is specifically promising for the next parliamentary term.
The distinction is important. Government programmes developed with ACT and New Zealand First should not automatically be presented as National Party election commitments, while policies carried forward from National’s 2023 platform should be clearly identified as earlier commitments unless they are reconfirmed for 2026.
National’s current public-facing transport programme remains broadly centred on major infrastructure, road and rail resilience, public transport in high-growth urban areas, reform of transport charging and stronger links between transport, housing and economic development.
Leadership and Key People
Party Leadership
Rt Hon Christopher Luxon – Leader of the National Party and Prime Minister.
Hon Nicola Willis – Deputy Leader of the National Party and Minister of Finance.
Luxon has framed National’s wider programme around economic growth, government delivery, infrastructure investment and fiscal discipline. Willis has a central influence on transport because the scale and pace of National’s infrastructure programme depend on Budget allowances, Crown borrowing, the National Land Transport Fund and the availability of private capital.
Transport Leadership
The National Party’s main transport figure is:
Hon Chris Bishop – Minister of Transport, Minister of Infrastructure, Minister of Housing, Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Attorney-General and Associate Minister of Finance.
Bishop became Minister of Transport in January 2025 and now holds an unusually broad combination of transport, infrastructure, planning, housing and finance responsibilities.
That portfolio overlap reflects the Government’s view that transport infrastructure should be planned alongside housing growth, urban development, land use, energy supply and long-term investment.
Bishop is therefore more than National’s transport spokesperson. He is the sitting minister responsible for the portfolio and one of the central architects of the Government’s broader infrastructure programme.
Associate Transport Minister
Hon James Meager – Associate Minister of Transport.
Meager has led work across aviation, maritime transport, regional air connectivity, digital driver licensing and transport-system regulation.
His role is important because National’s transport policy extends beyond roads and urban public transport. Aviation and coastal shipping are essential to regional access, tourism, international trade, supply-chain resilience and emergency response.
Wider Transport-Relevant Figures
Hon Simeon Brown – National’s previous Minister of Transport after the 2023 election. Brown was closely associated with the early development of the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport, Roads of National Significance and Auckland transport reform.
Hon Simon Watts – Minister for Auckland and a significant figure in Auckland transport, rail and urban-development announcements.
Hon Nicola Willis – Finance Minister, responsible for the fiscal settings that determine how quickly major transport projects can be delivered.
Rt Hon Winston Peters – New Zealand First leader and Minister for Rail. Although not a National MP, Peters is an important coalition figure in the Government’s rail programme.
This spread of responsibilities means the Government’s transport record is not solely a National Party record. Rail in particular is influenced by New Zealand First, while some road-funding, planning and regulatory reforms reflect coalition agreements with ACT.
National’s Transport Policy and Direction
National’s transport policy is best understood through six broad themes:
Major infrastructure delivery.
Maintenance and resilience.
Reform of road funding and transport charging.
Greater use of private finance and tolling.
Governance and regulatory reform.
Closer integration between transport, housing and economic growth.
National remains the most road-focused of the major parties. However, its programme also includes significant public transport, metropolitan rail, regional aviation and coastal-shipping initiatives.
Current Government Programme Versus 2026 Election Policy
National’s main public transport policy page remains its Transport for the Future programme, originally developed for the previous election.
That programme includes:
Roads of National Significance.
Major Auckland rapid-transit corridors.
Completion of the Eastern Busway.
Public transport from the airport to Botany.
A northwest Auckland rapid-transit connection.
Lower North Island passenger and freight rail improvements.
Transport infrastructure supporting housing growth.
Resilience projects in regions affected by severe weather.
Many of those policies have since moved into the Government’s formal transport programme.
As of 3 August 2026, Transport 2026 has not identified a completely separate, comprehensive National Party transport manifesto for the 2026 election. National’s current position is therefore most accurately represented through its existing policy, its record in government and any additional commitments announced during the campaign.
Infrastructure Delivery and Economic Growth
National consistently connects transport investment with economic productivity.
Its argument is that unreliable or congested transport networks increase costs across the economy by delaying freight, workers, construction, exports, tourism and access to services.
Under this approach, transport is not treated as a stand-alone portfolio. It is presented as part of a wider infrastructure system involving:
Housing and urban growth.
Freight and export supply chains.
Energy.
Regional development.
Land-use planning.
Construction-sector capacity.
Public and private investment.
Climate and natural-hazard resilience.
This framing is particularly visible in Chris Bishop’s combined transport, infrastructure, housing, RMA and finance responsibilities.
National’s challenge is that the number and scale of projects it supports exceed the funding immediately available. The Government’s own Major Transport Projects Pipeline acknowledges this by dividing projects into different phases and moving some forward more slowly than others.
The National Infrastructure Plan
The independent New Zealand Infrastructure Commission released the final National Infrastructure Plan in February 2026.
The plan takes a 30-year view of New Zealand’s infrastructure needs and is organised around four broad principles:
Planning what the country can afford.
Looking after existing assets.
Prioritising the right projects.
Making it easier to build infrastructure well.
The Government released its formal response in June 2026, supporting all 16 recommendations, with three supported in principle pending further work.
The response includes:
A wider review of the land-transport funding system.
Requirements for government agencies and Crown entities to publish long-term investment plans.
Stronger asset-management reporting.
Improved infrastructure-project assurance.
Better data within the National Infrastructure Pipeline.
Greater links between infrastructure planning and fiscal strategy.
The Government says the land-transport funding review will develop proposals for public consultation by June 2028. Legislation requiring long-term investment planning and asset-management reporting is expected to be developed in 2027.
The National Infrastructure Plan gives National a broader framework than a list of individual roads. It also highlights a major weakness in New Zealand’s infrastructure system: the country spends heavily by international standards but often achieves poor value, weak asset management and inconsistent long-term planning.
National has also supported attempts to build greater cross-party agreement around long-lived infrastructure. That objective will be tested by whether parties can agree on the planning framework while continuing to disagree over individual roads, rail investments and funding mechanisms.
Major Transport Projects Pipeline
In July 2026, the New Zealand Transport Agency published its Major Transport Projects Pipeline.
The pipeline sets out the intended sequence for Roads of National Significance, Roads of Regional Significance and major public-transport projects.
Projects already under construction or procurement include:
Ōtaki to north of Levin.
Hawke’s Bay Expressway.
Takitimu North Link Stage 1.
SH29 Tauriko West and the Omanawa Bridge.
Warkworth to Te Hana.
Cambridge to Piarere.
Melling Interchange.
Brougham Street improvements.
A second Ashburton bridge.
Projects being prepared for construction or route protection include parts of Mill Road, the Northwest Busway, the Hope Bypass, SH1 Wellington improvements, the Brynderwyns and wider Tauriko works.
Other projects, including Auckland’s East West Link, Petone to Grenada and later sections of Mill Road and the Northland Expressway, will continue at a slower pace.
This phasing provides a more realistic picture than the original announcement of 17 Roads of National Significance. It confirms that not every project can begin immediately and that some remain dependent on future funding, consenting, route protection, property acquisition and design.
Roads of National Significance
National revived the Roads of National Significance programme as the centrepiece of its road-building policy.
The programme is intended to improve major freight and passenger corridors, reduce serious crashes, support housing growth and create a long-term pipeline for the construction sector.
National argues that these roads create national economic benefits. Critics are likely to focus on their total cost, funding uncertainty, environmental effects and whether road investment is being prioritised over public transport, rail or lower-cost improvements.
The 2026 pipeline shows that the Government is attempting to balance political ambition with construction capacity and fiscal limits. It also makes clear that several projects remain longer-term propositions rather than fully funded construction commitments.
Warkworth to Te Hana Public-Private Partnership
On 30 July 2026, the Government signed a public-private partnership agreement for the 26-kilometre Warkworth-to-Te Hana section of the Northland Expressway.
The project includes a four-lane expressway, grade-separated interchanges, bridges, underpasses, major culverts and twin tunnels through Kraack Hill above the Dome Valley.
The Crown and the Northway consortium have entered an agreement covering design, construction, finance, maintenance and operation. Early works are expected to begin in 2026, main construction is scheduled from November 2027, the road is expected to open in 2033 and final works are expected to be completed in 2034.
The Government describes the agreement as the largest public-private partnership in New Zealand’s history. It gives the project a net-present-value cost of $3.649 billion, compared with a public-sector comparator of $3.9 billion.
The Crown is providing NZTA with a $1.6 billion, 10-year loan for its capital contribution. Once the road opens, NZTA will make ongoing performance-linked payments to the consortium over a 25-year operating period.
The agreement is a major test of National’s renewed interest in private infrastructure finance.
A PPP can transfer some construction, maintenance and performance risk to the private partner and spread Crown payments over time. It does not remove the ultimate public cost. The long-term value of the arrangement will depend on construction performance, financing costs, contract management and whether projected economic and safety benefits are achieved.
Cambridge to Piarere
Budget 2026 allocated $1.773 billion to the Cambridge-to-Piarere Road of National Significance.
The project will extend the Waikato Expressway south from Cambridge toward the junction of State Highways 1 and 29.
National presents it as a strategically important upper North Island corridor connecting Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and the central and lower North Island.
Procurement is under way, with Stage 1 construction expected to begin in early 2027 and Stage 2 later in 2027.
The project is one of National’s clearest fully funded road commitments. It also illustrates the scale of modern highway costs: the Cambridge-to-Piarere allocation alone accounts for roughly one-third of the net new capital package in Budget 2026.
Road Maintenance and Renewals
National has placed stronger emphasis on road maintenance through the State Highway Pothole Prevention Fund and the 2024–27 National Land Transport Programme.
The Government says $2.07 billion has been allocated to state-highway road and drainage maintenance and renewals over the three-year programme.
During the 2025–26 renewal season, more than 1,800 lane kilometres were resealed, resurfaced or rebuilt, including more than 250 lane kilometres of complete road reconstruction.
The Government has also sought to reduce the cost and disruption caused by temporary traffic management, including requiring a more risk-based approach to the use of road cones and traffic-control systems.
Maintenance is politically less visible than a new motorway, but it may be equally important to daily travel.
National’s emphasis on looking after existing assets aligns with the National Infrastructure Plan. The longer-term test will be whether maintenance funding remains protected when pressure increases to fund new construction.
State Highway Resilience
Budget 2026 included $400 million for state-highway resilience.
The programme includes work on vulnerable corridors such as:
SH2 through the Waioweka Gorge.
SH3 through the Awakino Gorge.
SH25 around the Coromandel.
SH60 over Tākaka Hill.
SH6 between Cromwell and Kingston.
SH6 between Haast and Hāwea.
SH94 between Milford and Te Anau.
These routes are important for local communities, freight, tourism and emergency access.
The funding reflects a growing recognition that transport resilience is not only an emergency-management concern. Severe weather, landslides, flooding and coastal erosion increasingly create economic and social disruption across the network.
Public Transport and Rail
National’s transport programme is road-led, but it is not exclusively focused on roads.
Its public-transport programme includes major Auckland busways, metropolitan rail investment, new rail stations and infrastructure intended to unlock the benefits of City Rail Link.
Eastern Busway
Construction began in July 2026 on the final 500-metre section of Auckland’s Eastern Busway.
The completed rapid-transit corridor will connect Botany, Pakuranga and Panmure, with onward rail connections to central Auckland. The full busway is expected to open in 2027.
Government projections expect public-transport use on the corridor to increase from approximately 3,700 trips a day to 18,000 by 2028 and 24,000 by 2048.
The Eastern Busway is an important example of continuity across governments. It has been developed over multiple political terms and is now being completed under the National-led Government.
Northwest Busway
The Government’s July 2026 pipeline includes continued planning for the Northwest Busway.
Stages 1B and 2 are being prepared, while route protection is intended to continue for Stage 3.
However, the project is not yet in the same delivery position as the Eastern Busway. Progress remains subject to design, route protection, funding and later construction decisions.
Auckland Rail Network
New railway stations at Drury and Paerātā opened on 1 August 2026, with peak weekday trains scheduled every 10 minutes.
Each station includes two platforms, approximately 350 car parks and bus connections. They form part of wider transport and housing planning for a part of Auckland expected to experience significant population growth.
The Government says recent Auckland rail investment totals approximately $2.4 billion and includes:
The Auckland Rail Network Rebuild.
Electrification to Pukekohe.
The Third Main Line separating freight and passenger movements.
New southern stations.
Level-crossing removal.
Preparatory work for City Rail Link.
A planned Ngākōroa station in 2027.
These investments demonstrate that National’s current record includes substantial rail and public-transport infrastructure.
However, much of the Auckland rail programme was funded, planned or begun under earlier governments. The relevant question is not simply which party first announced each project, but whether successive governments maintain funding and deliver the network as a connected system.
National Rail Funding
Budget 2026 committed up to $1.075 billion for KiwiRail’s planned network investment between 2027 and 2030, alongside $106.9 million for overdue metropolitan rail renewals.
The funding is focused mainly on maintaining, renewing and improving existing national and metropolitan rail infrastructure.
Rail policy is also an area of coalition influence. Winston Peters is Minister for Rail, while Chris Bishop holds the wider Transport portfolio. The Government’s rail record should therefore be understood as a coalition programme rather than solely a National Party programme.
Transport Funding Reform
One of National’s most significant long-term transport policies is its plan to move light vehicles away from petrol excise and onto electronic road user charges.
Petrol vehicles currently contribute to the National Land Transport Fund through fuel excise, while diesel vehicles, electric vehicles and heavy vehicles pay road user charges.
National argues that the existing distinction will become increasingly unsustainable as vehicles become more efficient and a larger share of the fleet moves away from petrol.
The proposed long-term system would charge vehicles more directly according to distance travelled and vehicle characteristics rather than the amount of petrol purchased.
Land Transport Revenue Amendment Bill
The Land Transport Revenue Amendment Bill was introduced in November 2025.
It has two principal objectives:
Modernising the RUC system and preparing for a future transition of light vehicles from fuel excise to RUC.
Expanding and modernising the framework for tolling roads.
As of 3 August 2026, the Bill has passed its second reading but has not yet completed the Committee of the Whole House, third reading or Royal assent.
The legislation should therefore be described as an active government reform rather than a completed change.
The select committee recommended that the Bill be passed and reported the amendments unanimously.
The eventual move to fleet-wide RUC would be one of the largest changes to New Zealand’s land-transport funding system in decades.
Important unanswered issues include:
How rates will be set.
How privacy will be protected.
Whether drivers will pay in advance or after travel.
The role of private RUC providers.
Administrative charges.
The treatment of different vehicle weights.
Whether pricing will account for location, congestion or road type.
How the transition from petrol excise will be managed.
Time-of-Use Charging
National supports time-of-use charging as a way to improve traffic flow in congested areas.
The Land Transport Management Time of Use Charging Amendment Act received Royal assent in November 2025 and is scheduled to come into force on 18 November 2026.
The law will allow local authorities and NZTA to develop charging schemes for high-traffic areas, subject to consultation, ministerial approval and an Order in Council.
Charges may vary by location, vehicle class, time of day and day of the week. Revenue is intended to support the operation of the scheme and transport improvements connected to it.
The legislation creates the framework; it does not itself establish a charge in Auckland or another city.
The political debate will shift next to the design of individual schemes, including:
Where charges would apply.
What hours they would operate.
How much drivers would pay.
Which vehicles would be exempt.
What public-transport improvements would accompany a scheme.
How privacy and enforcement would be managed.
Tolls and Private Finance
National supports greater use of tolling and private finance to deliver large road projects.
The Land Transport Revenue Amendment Bill would expand the circumstances in which existing roads could be tolled when users benefit from a new road in the same corridor.
National argues that tolling can bring projects forward and create a stronger link between road users and infrastructure funding.
Opponents may argue that expanded tolling risks charging motorists for routes they previously used without a direct fee, particularly where realistic alternative routes are limited.
The Warkworth-to-Te Hana agreement will be the leading practical test of National’s public-private partnership model.
Auckland Transport Governance Reform
National has completed one of the largest changes to Auckland transport governance since the creation of Auckland Council.
Legislation passed in April 2026 transfers most transport policy, planning, road-control and capital-delivery responsibilities from Auckland Transport to Auckland Council.
Auckland Transport will remain as a smaller council-controlled organisation focused primarily on delivering public-transport services.
A new regional transport committee will bring together Auckland Council and central government to prepare a 30-year integrated transport plan.
Local boards will also receive greater influence over some local roads, parking, speed limits and cycleway decisions.
National argues the reform restores democratic accountability by placing major decisions in the hands of elected representatives.
The practical test will be whether the new structure produces clearer responsibility and faster decisions without losing specialist capability, creating duplication or disrupting the operation of public transport.
Transport Rule Reform
In February 2026, the Government consulted on a package of changes described as “fixing the basics” of the transport system.
Following more than 6,000 submissions, the Government confirmed revised changes in July.
These include:
Allowing children aged 12 and under to cycle on footpaths.
Allowing an older rider to accompany a child on the footpath.
Allowing e-scooters in cycle lanes.
Requiring drivers to leave a minimum 1.5-metre gap when passing cyclists, horse riders and other vulnerable road users.
Requiring drivers to give way to buses leaving stops where the speed limit is 60 kilometres per hour or lower.
Technical changes to signs, signals and road markings.
The Government did not proceed with its proposed changes to berm-parking enforcement after consultation.
The new rules are expected to take effect before the end of 2026 following Orders in Council.
These reforms are smaller than a new motorway or rail line, but they reveal National’s preferred governing style: practical rule changes, simplified compliance and a focus on the everyday operation of the transport system.
Digital Driver Licences
The Government has also moved toward digital driver licences.
Public consultation on the design opened in July 2026. The proposal would allow New Zealanders to carry a secure digital driver licence on a mobile device while retaining the physical licence system.
The reform forms part of a wider programme of digital government services and transport documents.
Aviation
National’s transport programme includes a significant aviation-regulation and regional-connectivity agenda led by James Meager.
The Aviation Action Plan released in September 2025 contains 25 actions intended to improve growth, safety, workforce development, innovation and regional air access.
Its priorities include:
Modernising civil aviation rules.
Reducing certification delays.
Supporting drones and new aviation technology.
Strengthening pilot and engineering training.
Improving international recognition of qualifications.
Improving accessibility and passenger rights.
Supporting vulnerable regional air routes.
Establishing a permanent Aviation Council.
Making Ohakea available as an alternative airport for wide-body aircraft.
In April 2026, the Government began a two-year programme covering 23 aviation-rule projects.
It has also provided a $30 million concessionary-loan facility for at-risk regional air services, with Golden Bay Air receiving the first loan.
Aviation is particularly important for regions where road or ferry disruption can isolate communities. It also supports tourism, freight, healthcare access and international trade.
Maritime Transport and Coastal Shipping
National’s maritime direction focuses on resilience, workforce development, port coordination and maintaining supply chains during emergencies.
The Government’s $30 million Coastal Shipping Resilience Fund has supported six main investments, including:
A digital port-coordination platform.
Container-handling equipment in Gisborne.
Improvements to the Rangitata coastal vessel.
Reconstruction of Greymouth wharf.
Training berths for New Zealand maritime students.
A Northland-built regional dredging capability.
The Government argues coastal shipping can move heavy freight efficiently and provide an alternative when road and rail routes are disrupted by natural disasters.
National’s current maritime work is more focused on resilience and targeted capability than on a large-scale shift of freight from road to coastal shipping.
Budget 2026 Transport and Infrastructure Programme
Budget 2026 reinforced National’s transport and infrastructure direction.
The principal transport-related investments include:
$1.773 billion for Cambridge to Piarere.
$400 million for state-highway resilience.
Up to $1.075 billion for KiwiRail’s 2027–30 network programme.
$106.9 million for metropolitan rail renewals.
Continued delivery of roads, bridges, rail and public-transport projects already in the pipeline.
Budget 2026 included $7 billion of new capital expenditure, offset by approximately $1.3 billion of savings, producing a net capital package of $5.7 billion.
The Budget reflects National’s attempt to balance infrastructure investment with its commitment to return the government accounts to surplus and reduce debt as a proportion of the economy.
That fiscal discipline will also limit how many large projects can begin at once.
What Has Been Announced or Delivered During the Current Cycle?
The main National-led transport and infrastructure developments now include:
Chris Bishop taking over as Minister of Transport in January 2025.
The Government Policy Statement prioritising 17 Roads of National Significance.
The introduction of fleet-wide electronic RUC reform.
Passage of enabling time-of-use charging legislation.
Introduction and second reading of the Land Transport Revenue Amendment Bill.
Passage of Auckland transport-governance reform.
Publication of the independent National Infrastructure Plan.
The Government’s formal response to all 16 Infrastructure Plan recommendations.
Budget funding for Cambridge to Piarere.
The Warkworth-to-Te Hana PPP agreement.
The July 2026 Major Transport Projects Pipeline.
$400 million for state-highway resilience.
More than $1 billion for national rail infrastructure.
Continued Auckland rail upgrades and new southern stations.
Construction of the final Eastern Busway section.
Transport rule reform.
The Aviation Action Plan.
Regional aviation support.
Coastal-shipping resilience investment.
Taken together, these show that National’s transport position is already being expressed through legislation, procurement, construction and system reform.
They also show that the programme remains constrained by funding and sequencing. Some headline projects are under construction, while others are still being designed, route-protected or moved forward at a slower pace.
What Is Still Unclear Ahead of the Election?
National has an extensive government record, but several important questions remain for its 2026 campaign.
These include:
Which current coalition programmes National will carry into the next term.
Whether National will announce additional transport projects.
The final design and timetable for fleet-wide electronic RUC.
Which roads may be tolled.
How individual time-of-use charging schemes would operate.
The long-term funding model for public transport.
The future of regional passenger rail.
The balance between new construction and maintenance.
How the next Government would fund the full project pipeline.
National’s updated approach to transport emissions.
Support for low- and zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure.
The future role of interregional buses, coastal shipping and regional aviation.
Whether greater cross-party infrastructure agreement can survive the election campaign.
Transport Spokesperson: Current and Historical
Hon Chris Bishop
Chris Bishop is National’s current transport lead by virtue of being the sitting Minister of Transport.
His combined Transport and Infrastructure responsibilities make him one of the most influential figures in the 2026 transport debate.
National’s approach under Bishop is likely to remain centred on project delivery, infrastructure-system reform, road funding, private finance, planning reform and stronger links between transport and urban growth.
Hon James Meager
James Meager is Associate Minister of Transport.
His responsibilities include important parts of aviation, maritime transport, regional access, regulation and digital transport systems.
Hon Simeon Brown
Simeon Brown served as Minister of Transport during the earlier part of the current Government.
Brown was closely associated with the Government Policy Statement, Roads of National Significance, speed-limit reform and National’s early transport direction after the 2023 election.
Although Bishop now leads the portfolio, Brown remains part of the recent political history of National’s transport programme.
Frequently Asked Questions – National Party Transport Policy
Who is National’s transport spokesperson?
National’s principal transport figure is Hon Chris Bishop, the current Minister of Transport and Minister of Infrastructure.
Who is the Associate Minister of Transport?
Hon James Meager is Associate Minister of Transport, with significant involvement in aviation, maritime transport and transport regulation.
What is National’s main transport focus?
National’s current focus includes major road construction, maintenance, resilience, public transport in key urban corridors, rail infrastructure, transport-funding reform, private finance and governance reform.
Has National released its complete 2026 transport manifesto?
National has an extensive current government programme and an existing Transport for the Future policy. A completely separate and comprehensive 2026 election transport manifesto has not yet been identified.
What are Roads of National Significance?
They are large state-highway projects National considers strategically important for economic growth, safety, housing development and freight movement.
Are all 17 Roads of National Significance funded?
No. The July 2026 pipeline divides projects into phases. Some are under construction or procurement, while others are being designed, route-protected or advanced more slowly as funding becomes available.
What is the Warkworth-to-Te Hana project?
It is a planned 26-kilometre four-lane expressway being delivered through a public-private partnership. The road is expected to open in 2033.
What is National doing about petrol tax?
National is progressing a long-term transition from petrol excise to electronic road user charges for light vehicles.
Has the electronic RUC legislation passed?
The Land Transport Revenue Amendment Bill has passed its second reading but had not completed the remaining parliamentary stages as of 3 August 2026.
What is time-of-use charging?
It is a system that can charge vehicles for travelling in congested locations at particular times. Enabling legislation has passed and is scheduled to come into force on 18 November 2026, but individual schemes still require development, consultation and approval.
What is changing at Auckland Transport?
Most policy, planning, road-control and capital-delivery responsibilities are transferring to Auckland Council. Auckland Transport will remain focused mainly on public-transport delivery.
Does National support public transport?
Yes. The current programme includes the Eastern Busway, planning for the Northwest Busway, Auckland rail upgrades, new stations and lower North Island rail investment. However, National’s overall transport programme remains strongly road-led.
What is National doing about rail?
Budget 2026 provides up to $1.075 billion for KiwiRail’s planned network programme and $106.9 million for metropolitan rail renewals. Rail policy is also influenced by New Zealand First through Rail Minister Winston Peters.
What is National’s aviation policy?
The Government has released an Aviation Action Plan covering regulatory reform, workforce development, emerging technology, regional routes, accessibility and airport resilience.
What is National doing about coastal shipping?
The Government has funded targeted projects intended to improve port coordination, workforce training, regional port capability and coastal freight resilience.
Contact and Interview Status
As part of Transport 2026, Kiwi Coaches has sought or may seek engagement with National and its transport representatives.
At the time of this update, Transport 2026 has not completed a direct National Party transport interview for this page.
National will be invited to:
Review the factual record.
Identify any errors or omissions.
Distinguish government policy from National’s election commitments.
Provide updated project costings and delivery dates.
Confirm its 2026 transport priorities.
Explain its position on roads, public transport, rail, aviation, maritime transport, RUC, tolling, emissions and long-term infrastructure funding.
Any attributable response or formal policy document will be incorporated into a future update.