Wellington gets 10% of $32b land transport cash splash
Tuesday, 3 September 2024
Wellington has been allocated $3.3 billion for roading and public transport from a Government announcement of $32.9b in the National Land Transport Plan for 2024-2027.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown said $3.3b ‒ 10% of the money allocated nationally ‒ would increase productivity and reduce travel times in the region.
“Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. We're focused on delivering transport projects in Wellington that deliver reliability for commuters, benefit businesses, and support economic growth. Projects must also demonstrate value for money.”
An obvious omission was a tunnel underneath Wellington, which Brown sought advice on in April.
As well as a commitment to a second Mt Victoria tunnel, other Wellington projects allocated funding included the Melling Interchange (Riverlink) and the Petone Grenada link road.
Funding will also go to new passenger trains and line upgrades to improve commuter services to Wairarapa and Palmerston North. The Government said $1.3b had been allocated to public transport but there was little detail other than funding new passenger trains and line upgrades to improve commuter services to the Wairarapa and Palmerston North.
The new services to Wairarapa and Palmerston North were first announced by the Government in July with a cost of $800m.
At that time, Labour pointed out that it was a re-announcement of funding it had previously announced when in government.
Two new roads in the Hutt Valley, the Melling interchange and Petone Grenada, are both roads Minister of Infrastructure Chris Bishop campaigned on.
The Petone Grenada project is linked to the Cross Valley Link road, taking traffic from Seaview to SH 2 via Petone.
Bishop hoped both roads would result in large greenfield developments in Wainuiomata and Grenada.
Brown said the roading projects would reduce congestion across the region.
“We campaigned on progressing the Petone to Grenada Link Road and Cross Valley Link to unlock land for much needed housing,” Brown said.
“The additional tunnel and upgrades to the Basin Reserve will provide a total of four lanes to the planes, connecting the city and Wellington’s eastern suburbs, and greatly reducing gridlock in Wellington.”
Petone to Grenada has a chequered history. It had been talked about for decades with little progress until 2018, when the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said the project needed to be re-scoped due to cost and the impact of the Kaikōura earthquake.
In April 2019, Waka Kotahi said next step was funding for a business case but that never eventuated
“We identified that the link road in its then-proposed form may not provide the resilience outcomes needed for Wellington, was more costly than first thought, and its impacts on the environment might be difficult to minimise.”
The Melling project was first announced by Labour in 2020 but has stalled as contractors and New Zealand Land Transport Agency Waka Kotahi tried to fit it into the initial budget of $700m.
Frustrated by delays Hutt City and Greater Wellington decided to go it alone and complete flood protection and other aspects of the project not involving Waka Kotahi.
With only $3.3b allocated to Wellington and much of it going towards planning and public transport it remains unclear when major roading projects like the second Mt Vic tunnel will be built. The funding in the plan was for the design and consenting process.
Brown said the funding was good news for the region.
“Our Government is committed to making sure that every transport dollar is spent wisely on the projects and services that Wellingtonians need. Public transport needs to be reliable, and roads need to be maintained to a high standard.
“With this $3.3 billion investment in Wellington’s transport network over the next three years, that is exactly what we are delivering.”
Speaking at the announcement of a new speed limit for the Kāpiti Expressway Brown defended the amount being spent on Wellington, saying it was a significant investment which would create more travel options for residents.
He could not give a date on when construction would begin on the Petone Grenada link road as a lot more work was required “over the next few years” to “understand” the cost and the best way to build it.