Ara Tūhono–Pūhoi to Warkworth
Infrastructure planting across 19km of new motorway through steep North Auckland terrain.
Client: The Northern Express Group (NX2)
Expertise: Infrastructure
Plants: 1.2 million plants over 19km of highway - a staggering 63,000 per km
Project Timeline: 2019 - 2026
Partners: NZTA, Fletcher Acciona
Ara Tūhono–Pūhoi to Warkworth extends the Northern Motorway from the Johnstones Hill Tunnels north to Warkworth, running 19km through steep rolling hill country as part of a Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency programme. Kauri Park Projects was responsible for planting across the full length of the corridor, establishing native vegetation throughout embankments, interchanges, and extensive wetland and riparian restoration areas.
On a Tier 1 infrastructure project of this scale, coordination was just as important as the physical planting works. Delivering planting across a 19km corridor required close coordination with multiple contractors, while continually adapting to changing construction programmes. Health and safety remained central throughout, particularly when working on steep escarpments, managing large planting teams, and operating within an active Tier 1 civil construction site.
Plant supply and delivery were coordinated with Kauri Park Nurseries, using our own logistics fleet to maintain reliable supply to planting crews throughout the project. Conveyor systems were set up to move plants up steep slopes to teams planting on the upper escarpments. The Green Team was trained and certified in harness planting, enabling works to be safely completed on steep escarpments where conventional planting methods were not possible. All pots and trays from the project were returned and recycled into fence posts and agricultural drainage pipes.
The project established 1.2 million plants across 19km of new motorway corridor, at an average of 63,000 plants per kilometre.
