'Once in a generation': Government backs light rail for $7.4b Wellington transport overhaul
Wednesday, 29 June 2022
The Government has backed a new light rail network in Wellington, running from the Railway Station to Island Bay
A new, multi-purpose tunnel would be built under Mt Victoria, with two lanes each for cars and public transport
The Let’s Get Wellington Moving project will cost $7.4 billion and will be completed in the 2030s
Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council now have to choose their preferred option, before more detailed planning begins
Light rail from the city to Island Bay and a new tunnel through Mt Victoria have been backed by the Government in the $7.4 billion Let’s Get Wellington Moving project – the biggest change in how Wellingtonians get around in decades.
The second Mt Victoria tunnel would have four lanes – two for public transport and two for private cars. The old Mt Victoria tunnel would be converted into a walking and cycling-only route. The plan includes improvements to traffic around the Basin Reserve.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape Wellington’s future, align transport and urban development, and help to address the climate crisis by moving more people with fewer vehicles,” said Finance Minister Grant Robertson at the announcement on Wednesday morning.
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Now the Government has shown its hand, the other Let’s Get Wellington Moving partners – Wellington's city and regional councils – need to show theirs. The Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council are expected to make their decisions next Wednesday.
If the other partners agree, the option will then go to a detailed business case for Cabinet to consider.
“I know Wellingtonians are keen to see progress and we have asked the programme for options to fast track progress and early works, with consideration of phasing options,” said Minister of Transport Michael Wood at the announcement.
The overhaul, affecting public transport, walking, private cars and cycling, has spent years in the mire with little to no visible signs of progress. Recent months have seen some small changes, such as tweaks to allow for better walking and trial cycleways.
Pumping as many cars through the city as possible was “1960s thinking”, Wood said. Mode shift was “what every successful dynamic international city is doing”.
But a light rail system and route through Mt Victoria – the current tunnel is a current bottleneck for State Highway 1 traffic from the city and north of the city to the airport – have long proved among the most divisive and expensive decisions to make.
“Our capital needs a linked-up rapid transit transport network that will serve Wellingtonians into the future, making it faster to move through the city, connecting communities, providing greater access to businesses, all while reducing congestion,' Robertson said.
“The southern light rail option [“option 1”] is our preferred choice for Wellington because of the significant potential it offers for new housing and neighbourhood growth. By 2050, we are expecting up to 80,000 more people to be living within the city limits and 25% more people coming into the central city each workday from across the region.”
Robertson said that light rail “will support more people living centrally, close to where they work, study and live their lives”.
This option is heavier in embedded carbon emissions – that which is contained in construction materials such as concrete and steel. But Wood said this was quickly justified because of the number of new homes it enabled close to public transport. “We very quickly reach a point of neutrality for carbon reductions.”
But the light rail is not locked in yet – the business case will also consider a rapid bus network as a form of mass rapid transit. “This is a prudent step to take and ensures we can maintain momentum on the project,” Wood said.
Robertson said they were “as confident as we possibly can be at this moment” that light rail would be included in the final design – and it was certainly the Government’s preferred option.
His advice to Wellingtonians, including business owners, was “get on board”.
“I have seen a lot of ideas come and go,” he said. “This is an opportunity for our city to sustainably grow and offer a really high quality of life. And even if there is a small aspect of the project that is not quite what you want, let's take this opportunity. I don't think it will come along in this form again.”
Wood agreed. “The people of Wellington expect us to get on with this, and not to litigate and delay and go back and forth. I think we have had too many years of that. “