11. GARETH HUGHES (Green) Link to this
to the Minister of Transport
Is he confident the Government has done everything possible to provide sufficient, high-quality bus, rail and ferry services during the Rugby World Cup?
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister of Transport) Link to this
Yes. In the time the Government had available to it, that is the case. The Government funded and completed the scheduled infrastructure improvements, and, of course, it subsidises public transport services. However, as I said in answer to the previous question, it is clear that last Friday the sheer volume of people attempting to use the services in the afternoon and early evening exceeded everybody’s expectations, leading to significant operational issues being reported. I have met the Mayor of Auckland and Auckland Transport this morning, and they are committed to ensuring that additional capacity is made available over the rest of the tournament.
Will the Minister apologise to the people of New Zealand, and was not the transport fiasco on the opening night of the Rugby World Cup caused by systematic underfunding of the trains and buses by successive Governments?
In answer to the second part of the question, no. The reality, though, is that to an extent the member is correct: infrastructure takes a long time to put in place. For example, there has been some suggestion that electric trains should have been made available at the time of the Rugby World Cup. Well, the decision to not do that was made by the previous Labour-Greens Government in 2007. When it announced its initial regional fuel tax to fund new trains it declared—and, in fact, the former Minister of Transport declared—that they would not be available in time for 2011, because it would be too risky.
Phil TwyfordWhat were the back-up public transport plans if buses or trains were to break down during the Rugby World Cup, which he referred to in June in relation to the Auckland Regional Transport Authority report?
Significant back-up plans were available, including a number of, if you like, reserve buses—and tens of those. But again, I think it is fair to say—and in defence of the people in Auckland who were charged with providing the services—that the demand was unprecedented and certainly greater than anybody anticipated, including, notably, that Auckland Regional Transport Authority report.
Given that the Minister keeps referring to this unprecedented demand, is it not the case that the Government regularly underestimates the demand for trains, as it did last Friday, and as it has done in its recent review of the central business district rail link business case?
I am not sure what political point the member is trying to make, except I would point out that it is hard to justify the central business district rail link on the same basis as transport last Friday, because transport last Friday was free. I am not sure whether the member is suggesting that somehow travel on the central business district rail link should be free.
Why will the Minister not approve funding for the central business district rail link, which would hugely improve the already pretty dire reliability of the entire Auckland rail network and would have avoided one of the most serious problems that occurred on the opening night of the Rugby World Cup?
I appreciate that for the member the answer to every problem is the central business district rail link, no matter what it is, including some potentially non-transport problems. But the reality is that if the answer is a $2.4 billion rail link in order to get some people from town, down to Eden Park, then I think we are asking the wrong question.
Auckland Transport and the Auckland Council are conducting a review currently. They are putting together a report and mitigations. The Government will assess that review when it receives it during the next 24 hours.
I ask again: will the Minister apologise to the people of New Zealand and why did you, the Prime Minister, and the Minister for the Rugby World Cup give repeated assurances over the last couple of years that the transport arrangements would work on the night, that contingency plans would be successful, yet you are now passing the buck, faster than a Sonny Bill Williams offload, to the Auckland Council?
Mr SPEAKERI appreciate the member’s confidence in both my rugby playing ability and my physique, but I suspect he is wrong on both counts. [ Interruption] OK, perhaps I am close to Sonny Bill Williams. The reality is that I made the point in answer to the member’s primary question that the level of demand was unexpected by all parties, and that was one of the primary reasons, I understand, for the operational issues that occurred on Friday. The Auckland Council and Auckland Transport are working hard to address those issues.
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I was not referring to his physique in my question. In fact, he did not answer any part of the question.
The member’s question was quite out of order anyhow. He referred to the Speaker during his question, and asked why “you” did not do something, but I let the Minister answer.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I just want to make it clear I was not suggesting that you should get your shirt off. I think I have seen enough of that.