Inside VINCI’s play for Northland’s biggest project and the local company at the heart of it.

When VINCI Construction made its move to purchase Wharehine, many in the industry nodded knowingly. It wasn’t sentiment, t was strategy.

If you’re bidding to build the Northern Motorway Extension, you want two things: local muscle and local material. Wharehine has both.

A company built for the North

Wharehine’s crews are veterans of the region’s toughest terrain. They’ve shifted hundreds of thousands of tonnes of aggregate through steep gullies and clay slopes, mastering the art of building roads that last.

Their gear, their people, their quarries all positioned within a short haul of the planned motorway route through Dome Valley and Te Hana. VINCI saw that. And they saw something else too: Wharehine’s credibility.

While VINCI may be a global heavyweight, it’s Wharehine’s local name that opens doors, with councils, suppliers, iwi, and landowners. Owning Wharehine gives VINCI more than rock; it gives them roots.

Timing is everything

VINCI’s consortium, Go>North, is one of three still in the running for the $3 billion Warkworth -Te Hana contract. A final decision is expected in 2026.

By then, if the OIO approves the sale, Wharehine will already be inside the VINCI ten, ready to roll, ready to supply, and ready to build.

For VINCI, it’s a move that could shave millions off project costs, lock in supply certainty, and strengthen their bid immeasurably. For locals, it’s bittersweet. The deal brings global investment and opportunity, but it also marks the first time in Wharehine’s history that control passes out of New Zealand hands.

A Kiwi legacy in new hands

Still, some in the industry see promise. If VINCI keeps Wharehine’s workforce, name, and regional focus intact, it could be a win-win: Northland jobs secured, infrastructure modernised, and a local icon scaling up to international projects. Others remain sceptical. “Once the profit leaves the country, it never comes back,” one veteran contractor said quietly. “And that’s the real loss.”

The road ahead

The OIO’s verdict is expected early next year. If it’s approved, VINCI could finalise the purchase by mid-2026, just in time for the next stage of motorway construction to begin.

Either way, the story of Wharehine won’t end here. Whether it’s a French-led chapter or a continuation of Kiwi grit, the company remains the backbone of our region the gravel beneath every road, the foundation beneath every journey.