Who exactly will be calling the shots on Auckland's light rail system?

Saturday, 5 September 2020

A 2016 video by Auckland Transport shows the proposed route of light rail line to the airport, later taken over by NZTA.

OPINION: It is talked about as “Auckland’s Light Rail” network but a large dump of documents by the Ministry of Transport raises questions about who will call the shots on some important aspects.

The Labour and Green Parties promised in the 2017 election campaign to deliver the light rail lines which the council subsidiary Auckland Transport (AT) had been working on since 2014.

It is hard to condense the shambles that followed, but NZTA took over the project from AT, with a promise of full Government funding, and then the Government allowed a competing proposal to join the game.

An artist's interpretation of what an early version of Auckland light rail system could have looked like.

Then in came a joint venture between the Super Fund and Canadian partner CDPQ, with a higher-speed, fewer-stops Metro-style plan, only to have New Zealand First veto crucial decisions in 2020.

So things are on hold, pending the make-up of the next Government, without a shovel having been grasped – on a project AT expected it would have begun in 2019.

* The new plan to get Auckland light rail built, and how it will be funded

* Long read: How dead is light rail?

Artist impression of Auckland's proposed light rail route on Dominion Road, Balmoral

The document dump by the Ministry of Transport, which took over the two-bid process from NZTA, is an anti-climax, having been stripped of any interesting specifics about the two proposals.

But an interesting document is one which lists AT’s responses in late 2019 to the state of the process to evaluate bids, and MOT’s comments in reply.

Light rail will be the biggest single investment in Auckland’s public transport network, and AT should be the agency making sure it works for communities, and integrates completely with not only buses and trains, but also cycling and walking, local amenities, and the region-wide fare and ticketing system.

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff (l)has been loathe to criticise the light rail project being overseen by Transport Minister Phil Twyford(r)

In short, that it is truly an “Auckland” light rail system, and just not a cash-generating venture for perhaps a foreign joint owner-operator.

Auckland Transport highlighted in the document the need for a clear start date, set at 2028 in a joint agreement with the Government on a bundle of transport spending, but perhaps needed even earlier.

To which MOT responded, “Respondents will be aware of the timing requirements for this Project”.

MOT redacted its response to AT’s question as to whether the Canadians might be able to finance the NZTA proposal.

AT wanted to set fares, MOT responded it had “chosen not to be specific” on fare-setting.

Auckland Transport made a lengthy submission on the need to add all the criteria that a scheme should meet, such as land use, shaping the city centre, to which MOT simply said “reference to the broader transport policy documents has been made where relevant”.

AT said its policy was for the Mangere-Mt Roskill-CBD line to also connect through to the Wynyard Quarter, but MOT said that “has been kept broad to allow Respondents to determine the best solution”.

AT and the council want to manage community feedback to any proposal but MOT responded worryingly that “this is to be based on historical engagement” suggesting there may not be further consultation.

Auckland Transport specifically rejected the Britomart Transport centre as a hub for light rail to pass through, but MOT declined to make that a specific criteria.

It is hard to know whether these issues have since been resolved, and AT declined to comment, but close reading of the document suggests potential for a significant loss of sovereignty by Auckland.

Mayor Phil Goff who also campaigned on light rail has been loathe to discuss the merits of how light rail is being handled, seemingly delighted that the Government will pay, and therefore call the tune.

Greater public clarity is needed after the next election if a Labour-led Government is returned, and some clear assurances that Auckland, and its residents have a critical part in shaping light rail’s delivery.