Government and Auckland Council agree way forward on transport

Thursday, 15 September 2016

About $24 billion will be needed over the next decade to deliver the agreed-upon transport projects.

An agreement between Auckland Council and central government has been struck to end our biggest city's gridlock woes.

Transport Minister Simon Bridges and Auckland Mayor Len Brown signed the Auckland Transport Alignment Project report on Thursday.

Improvements to the northwestern and northern busways are among the projects expected to be completed by 2038.

The report, a joint project between the council, the Ministry of Transport, Auckland Transport, the NZ Transport Agency, the Treasury and the State Services Commission, recommends a strategic approach for transport investment over the next 30 years.

It outlines plans to deal with the extra 700,000 people that Auckland's population will swell by over that time and a projected increase in freight on Auckland roads of 78 per cent.

* Auckland City Rail Link cost could balloon up to $3.4 billion

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The report recommended congestion charges over a rise in property rates to help fund needed infrastructure.

Aucklanders needed to make 'different choices about how to travel and at what time of day' to reduce gridlock, Brown said.

'Demand management is crucial in managing this.'

Any revenue raised from congestion charges should go towards improving transport systems, he said.

The report recommended a network of toll systems across Auckland that vary in price depending on time and location.

They are expected to be installed by 2028.

'Applying charges across the whole network also reduces the likelihood of unintended consequences resulting from diverting traffic, as prices can be fine-tuned across the network to support desired outcomes,' the report read.

Councillor Bill Cashmore said the package is expected to cost about $24 billion over the next decade.

About $20 billion is expected to be available under current transport funding plans, he said.

'The council and the government will now consider options to address the $4 billion gap ahead of the next round of statutory funding decisions in 2018, with agreement required by the middle of next year.'

The first projects in the package are expected to be delivered between 2018-2028.

They include the Northwestern Busway, new or upgraded arterial roads to enable greenfield growth, and upgraded airport access via State Highway 20B.

Longer-term projects include improved access to the port and Grafton Gully, new roads to Kumeu and Pukekohe and widening the northern motorway.

Bridges said the report represented 'alignment in Auckland like we have never had before in transport'.

Employers and Manufacturers Association chief executive Kim Campbell welcomed the report, but said the funding options outlined were not enough.

Public private partnerships or infrastructure bonds also needed to be considered, he said.

'There is still a four billion dollar funding gap that needs to be addressed.

'The proposal referred to smarter transport pricing in 10 years time as a solution for this funding shortfall … what happens in the interim?'

Auckland mayoral hopeful Mark Thomas agreed that private public partnerships could deliver quicker results.

'My rewrite of the Auckland Council budget will see the $113m transport budget cut reversed and a conversation with Aucklanders advanced about swapping existing assets to help plug the transport gaps earlier.'

Mayoral candidate Phil Goff said Auckland was facing 'disproportionate' growth compared to the rest of New Zealand.

Aucklanders were prepared to fund their share of the infrastructure but should not be hit with rate hikes to do so, he said.

'Auckland … is contributing more to the government's revenue coffers, and so needs more capital from government to fund the infrastructure deficit.'

Mayoral candidate Vic Crone said the project was a start but did not go far enough to support Auckland's accelerated growth.

'It astounds me that there is no suggested investment on the North Shore in the first decade, despite significant housing growth.

'Projects like Penlink and Mill Road can be accelerated into the first decade through public private partnerships, which are commonplace in high growth cities like Sydney and Melbourne.'

Crone said ridesharing initiatives should be introduced far earlier to reduce congestion in the short term.