9. GARETH HUGHES (Green) Link to this
to the Minister of Transport
Does he agree with Auckland Mayor John Banks, in an opinion piece supporting the central business district rail loop, that “rail is the most effective and efficient way of providing for Auckland’s growth in travel demand”?
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister of Transport) Link to this
I almost agree with his worship the mayor. I would insert the words “one of”—that is, rail is one of the most effective and efficient ways of providing for Auckland’s growth in travel demand. My strong view is that the way we will solve Auckland’s transport problems as that city grows is to have all the modes of transport—road, rail, and ferry, etc.—operating effectively and efficiently.
When does the Minister expect the central business district rail loop to be completed, given that rail patronage in Auckland has increased by close to 100 percent in the last 5 years and the Britomart transport centre is nearing capacity?
I am a bit old-fashioned in this regard, because I like to know a number of things before embarking on billion-dollar projects. The first would be a business case on the likely operation of that central business district rail link. At the moment a business case is being prepared for all stakeholders. A study team is working on rail-tunnel route alignment and station locations. The team is undertaking costing work, assessing the phasing and timing of possible constructions, analysing the traditional transport benefits and wider benefits, and analysing alternatives. Those are all important things we do before embarking on such a project.
Can the Minister confirm that, according to New Zealand Transport Agency figures, last year traffic volumes on State highways in the Auckland region, including the harbour bridge, fell to 2004 levels, and is it not time to fast track the central business district rail loop?
I cannot confirm those numbers for the member today, although they are at very high levels. I point out to the member that about 85 percent of trips to and from work each day, according to the last census, are made by road, and about 1 percent by rail. I am confident rail has grown since then, but I still think it has a fair way to go before it will match the highway contribution.
Does the Minister deny that according to the Auckland Regional Transport Authority nearly 60 percent of people currently travelling to the Auckland central business district do so by public transport, and that that percentage is projected to increase significantly over the next few decades?
As I have said, I think all of the modes—public transport, road, and rail—have a contribution to make, but it is important that we consider each project carefully before we make decisions. The Government is currently investing $1.6 billion in Auckland’s commuter rail network.
Keith LockeWill the Minister prioritise the Auckland central business district rail loop as least as highly as the Pūhoi to Wellsford motorway, given that it will move more people for the same money, free up Auckland’s State highways, and dramatically improve productivity in New Zealand’s largest city?
I am not sure how the member makes those assertions if he has no idea how much it will cost or how many people will travel on it. But, be that as it may, I point out that the merits of bringing a three-lane highway to a screaming halt at Pūhoi in a one-lane road, in a paddock somewhere just out of Pūhoi, is the sort of transport policy that the previous Government came up with; not the current one.
Hon Darren Hughes Link to this
Tēnā koe e te Rangatira. Further to Mr Locke’s question, how many Aucklanders does he believe would use a central business district rail loop every day, compared with the number of Aucklanders who would use his holiday highway between Pūhoi and Wellsford?
I can tell that member exactly how many people travel on the road north of Pūhoi today. The conjecture as to who would use a central business district rail loop is premature, because, again, the studies have not been completed. Not only do we have to look at the projected revenues and the projected passenger numbers but we also have to have an operating budget. All these were things that the previous Government’s members did not trouble themselves with too much when they spent taxpayers’ money.
Given that the project has been on the cards since the 1920s and that previous studies have shown that the benefits significantly outweigh the costs, when will the Minister commit to fast tracking the funding for the project as a project of national significance and listen to the united voice of Auckland community leaders, who say that it is the smartest way to deliver real transport progress in the economic engine of the country?
My recent experience of the “united voice of community leaders around Auckland” generally means that they expect the taxpayers to front up to pay for something, to be fair. That seems to be the case in this instance, as well. It is important that the central business district rail link study is completed, that all aspects of the project are assessed, and that the costs and benefits are assessed. Frankly, we need a proper operating budget for the rail network into the future, which the previous Government did not bequeath to the current one. We need all of those things before we make those decisions.