Uncertainty reigns over Canterbury transport projects

Saturday, 23 December 2023

Minister of Transport Simeon Brown says he will consider advice from officials before making any decisions on the New Zealand Upgrade Programme, but would not commit to any time frame (File photo).

Uncertainty surrounds several major Canterbury infrastructure and public transport projects as the new government makes sweeping changes to the country’s land transport policies.

In recent weeks, Transport Minister Simeon Brown has ordered officials to end work on programmes to provide alternatives to car travel, repealed the clean car discount, and doubled down on plans to increase speed limits.

Asked about the future of the $8.7billion New Zealand Upgrade Programme (NZUP), which invests in rail, public transport, walking, cycling and road safety, the minister would not commit to its future.

There’s a question mark over the funding allocated in March to the Greater Christchurch’s Public Transport Futures project, which was intended to cut the wait in half (File photo).

“I have sought advice from officials on the New Zealand Upgrade Programme, and I will be considering this before making any decisions,” Brown said.

His office would not give a time frame for the decision.

NZUP’s $300 million Canterbury, Selwyn and Ashburton programme includes finished improvements to Ashburton’s Walnut Ave intersection and SH73 Weedon Ross Rd intersection, as well as projects underway to improve SH1 in Rolleston, SH75 Halswell Rd, SH1 Tinwald Corridor and SH76 Brougham St.

The $125m package for Rolleston includes a motorway fly over, new roundabouts, and intersection improvements, the Halswell Rd project includes road widening for bus lanes, new intersections and traffic signals, a shared cycle - pedestrian path, landscaping and lighting improvements, while the long awaited Brougham St upgrades, priced at $90m, would add dedicated T2 (bus, carpool, motorcycle) lanes, a pedestrian overbridge and a shared cycle-walking path.

A Waka Kotahi spokesperson said work was continuing on NZUP and there was “nothing more to say.”

The minister’s office also declined to confirm the future of the $78m promised by the previous government to accelerate the Public Transport Futures (PT Futures) programme.

The programme, to revamp the Greater Christchurch bus network, was first revealed in late 2020 with a twelve year time frame. Earlier this year, the Labour government announced a contribution of $78m, redirected from the scrapped $785m cycling and walking bridge planned for the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

The financial injection was intended to cut the wait in half, bringing the project forward five to six years.

Brown’s office did not answer questions relating to PT Futures funding, but in a statement Brown said he was “not surprised that the previous government’s promise of more funding for public transport in Christchurch hasn’t resulted in delivery.

“This is typical of Labour’s approach to transport which was always about announcements rather than delivery.”

Labour MP Megan Woods, who previously held the Greater Christchurch regeneration ministerial role, told BusinessDesk the government should “front up to the people of Christchurch and be clear” if the funding has been cut.

She noted the dearth of South Island MPs in cabinet, and promised to hold the government to account.

Woods said Christchurch City Council was still working on the draft business case at the time of the election, but that there was “no question” the money would have been delivered once the work was finished.

The National Party’s pre election transport policy included just one “Road of National Significance” in the region, the Woodend Bypass.

New Zealand First’s transport policy leads with changing the name of Waka Kotahi, and an immediate moratorium on any new cycle lane funding from the National Land Transport Fund. ACT’s transport policy centres on the creation of “a world-class toll roading system.”