Labour leader Jacinda Ardern has declared climate change the "nuclear free moment" of this generation in a speech outlining her vision for a Labour-led government.

She also stressed her commitment to helping children out of poverty with a promise to make progress on that part of Budget reporting rules.

But National tried to steal the limelight from her campaign launch, pledging to spend more than $10 billion of previously announced Budget funding on 10 major roading projects.

Dave Rowland Labour leader Jacinda Ardern,launches her campaign with a pledge to address climate change..

Launching her campaign in front of about 2200 party faithful in Auckland - with warm up routines from singers Hollie Smith, performing with a children's choir, and a speech by Don McGlashan - Ardern varied from her prepared speech to pay tribute to rugby great Sir Colin Meads, who died on Sunday.

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Prime Minister Bill English also paid tribute to Meads at his own announcement in Hastings saying it was a huge loss for both the country and rugby.

CHRIS MCKEEN/STUFF People prepare for the guest speakers at the 2017 Labour campaign launch at the Auckland Town Hall.

English will launch National's campaign next Sunday in Auckland.

​Ardern acknowledged the presence of former prime minister Helen Clark, who got a standing ovation and was cheered each time her name was mentioned.

Ardern told the packed hall Labour would tackle the issue of climate change.

Chris McKeen/Stuff Some of the Labour supporters at the 2017 Labour campaign launch at the Auckland Town Hall.

"This is my generation's nuclear free moment, and I am determined that we tackle it head on," she said.

But that involved dealing with issues closer home such as the need for clean and swimmable rivers.

"We will clean up our rivers. We will do it for the next generation."

JO MOIR/STUFF Prime Minister Bill English is introduced to a Hawke's Bay early childhood teacher and her young baby while on the campaign trail.

She promised her government would make the hard calls and be one that "leads, not follows".

Ardern thanked former leader Andrew Little for his work before sketched her own history, from being born in Hamilton, moving to Murupara and then Morrinsville where - while at school - she worked in a fish and chip shop one night a week.

The speech contained no new spending policy, as Labour awaits Treasury's update on Wednesday that will reveal the state of the Government's books.

But instead it was aimed at firing up the activists who came from around the country to hear the speech.

After paying tribute to former leaders and their legacies she said her aim was to "build a country where every child grows up free from poverty, and is filled with hope and opportunity".

On the economy, she said the measure should be how it "serves its people, not the other way round".

GETTY Helen Clak and her hiusband Peter Davis applaud Jacinda Ardern's campaign launch speech.

That meant judging success differently - not just by the rate of GDP growth.

"We will change the Public Finance Act so that every budget, you don't just hear about surpluses and deficits, you will hear about how many kids we have lifted out of poverty."

Economic success was not being evenly spread "between people, but also across our regions".

But she said she would never question the importance of a strong economy.

Meanwhile English outlined National's plans for the next generation of "Roads of National Significance" (RONS) which he said was a "planned strategy" not a last minute idea.

"The original seven Roads of National Significance are now either complete or under construction, improving safety and travel times around the country and supporting New Zealand's economic growth," Transport Minister Simon Bridges said..

"The time has come for the next generation of nation-building projects so today we are announcing that 10 of the country's most important routes will form the next generation of Roads of National Significance."

They are:

Wellsford to Whangarei

East West Link in Auckland

Cambridge to Tirau

Piarere to the foot of the Kaimai Range

Tauranga to Katikati

Napier to Hastings

Manawatu Gorge

Levin to Sanson

Christchurch Northern Motorway

Christchurch to Ashburton

He said the new roads were expected to cost about $10.5 billion, on top of the estimated $12b already spent on the first seven RONS.

They would be funded from the National Land Transport Fund and Public-Private Partnerships and be funded from the $32.5b set aside for infrastructure in the Budget.

"The chosen projects are our highest volume roads and they are a sensible and logical extension of the original seven projects," Bridges said.