Tunnel an ‘expensive fantasy’ or major boost to Wellington

Thursday, 3 October 2024

The Mount Victoria Tunnel is a bottleneck for cars heading to the airport. The Government promised to begin work on a second tunnel in its first term. It is also looking at a tunnel, from the inner city to Kilbirnie, as an alternative.

An expensive “fantasy project” which would deliver few benefits or a project that would help rebuild the Wellington economy. Those are the contrasting views on a 4km tunnel being promoted as an alternative to a second Mt Victoria tunnel.

The New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi this week confirmed work was still progressing on the feasibility of an inner city tunnel to Kilbirnie.

Minister of Transport Simeon Brown remains committed to looking at the tunnel option, which he believes will unlock the economy and reduce inner city congestion,

Greater Wellington transport chair Thomas Nash, however, was not a fan. Although the cost was unknown, he believed it would take a large chunk of the funding available for national infrastructure projects, and be better spent on public transport, education and health.

“It is time for the minister to reign in the fantasy.”

Transport Minister Simeon Brown believes a 4km tunnel through Wellington could be a game changer for the Capital.

In April, Brown said the tunnel was a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy.

“To rebuild our economy and ensure people and freight can get to where they need to go quickly and safely, we need to move at pace to deliver the infrastructure our country needs.”

Waka Kotahi acting general manager of transport services Robyn Elston confirmed work investigating the tunnel was under way and the minister had been updated in September.

“Work has continued to develop options for upgrades to SH1 through Wellington city, including the Basin Reserve and Mount Victoria Tunnel, as well as an alternative 'Long Tunnel'.”

The options were the long tunnel, and a parallel or diagonal second Mt Victoria tunnel.

Brown told The Post that the Government set out transport expectations for Waka Kotahi in the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport.

Greater Wellington transport chair Thomas Nash says Waterloo Station needs to be upgraded. Waka Kotahi did not provide any funding for the work, which is in the regional council’s three-year programme to improve transport infastructure.

The decision on which option best aligned with the policy statement would be made by the Waka Kotahi board.

“I look forward to their decision.”

Brown did not respond to Nash’s claim the long tunnel was a “fantasy project” that would never be built.

Nash said the Government was raising people’s expectations with a project that lacked merit and took money away from much needed public transport options, including buses and trains.

The money would be much better spent on buses and public transport. September had seen Wellingtonians use buses at record levels.

Waka Kotahi recently declined to fund Greater Wellington’s $270m three-year programme to upgrade transport infrastructure.

Greater Wellington transport chair Thomas Nash wants the Government to invest in trains, instead of a tunnel under Wellington.

“That is putting at risk our basic bread and butter infrastructure that makes our everyday lives better,” Nash said.

A long tunnel would move the current bottleneck at the Basin Reserve to Kilbirnie and getting people out of their cars and onto buses was a better bet, he said..

Prior to the election, the Government promised to start construction of a second Mt Victoria tunnel in its first term.

A written parliamentary question by Labour’s transport spokesperson, Tangi Utikere, revealed more than $1.6m had been spent on consultants as of August 31.

In announcing support for a long tunnel Brown said it would save up to 15 minutes for those travelling to the airport. It could also be built with less disruption to the city centre and less impact on public and private properties required for other options.

Elston said Waka Kotahi was working at pace on the Roads of National Significance (RONS) programme .

“We are working on a streamlined project development process and awaiting the impact of the Government's Fast-Track Approvals legislation to help accelerate the delivery of the RoNS projects.”