Regional rail for Chch ‘on the table’

Authorities have confirmed Christchurch commuter rail is ‘‘on the table’’ following the Government’s announcement of new priorities for its land transport plans.

The Government on Tuesday released a 10-year transport plan, which will shift focus from state highway upgrades to light rail and road safety. The Government Policy Statement (GPS) will also hike fuel taxes nationally.

The change in direction is expected to affect some Canterbury projects, such as the proposal to widen the Christchurch to Ashburton highway to four lanes, but could boost bus services and cycleway projects.

Greater Christchurch Regeneration Minister Megan Woods said yesterday the GPS meant ‘‘money is on the table for commuter rail in Christchurch’’.

In the lead-up to the 2017 election, Labour pledged $100 million towards Christchurch’s public transport, including a commuter rail service between Rolleston and the city.

Woods said the Government was fulfilling Labour’s pre-election commitment, but it would not happen overnight.

Selwyn District Mayor Sam Broughton welcomed the announcement and what it might mean for Rolleston, but said local input into any investment was key.

‘‘We totally welcome the Government bringing money into Canterbury for public transport, and if that’s going to be rail we’ll work with them on what that might look like.’’

He expressed some doubt though about whether rail was the best solution.

There were already buses operating between the centres and, if they were running at full capacity, ‘‘maybe a rail service would be the next thing that happens’’.

‘‘The detail needs working out, but the big picture is it’s good to have the money.’’

Transport in Canterbury is managed by the Canterbury Regional Transport Committee, made up of staff from Environment Canterbury (ECan), the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), the Christchurch City Council, and district councils.

The committee is working on an updated Regional Land Transport Plan, which is a request for Government funding.

Woods said she met with ECan staff yesterday morning and they were ‘‘well aware’’ what the GPS meant in relation to the regional plan.

She said the committee would ‘‘start making some pretty exciting plans for the future’’ to address traffic congestion.

It would then depend on NZTA to allocate the required money from the annual $4 billion National Land Transport Fund, which is guided by the GPS.

The GPS is open for public consultation until May 2.

An NZTA spokesman said while the GPS ‘‘provides guidance for transport investment decisions’’, the agency could not comment on future plans for specific transport projects until the public engagement process had been completed.

The GPS funding is expected to boost light rail in Auckland, but Wellington Mayor Justin Lester said he thought there was a ‘‘strong likelihood’’ the capital would get a long-mooted billiondollar light rail network.

When asked if there was enough money for the commuter rail for all of three main centres, Woods said it had been ‘‘explicitly imagined there is room in there for making sure we have fit for the future public transport systems in our three largest cities’’.

On Wednesday, Transport Minister Phil Twyford said the GPS ‘‘offers some exciting opportunities for Canterbury’’, but he acknowledged some Canterbury projects, such as the proposal to widen the Christchurch to Ashburton highway to four lanes, were less likely to go ahead.

NZTA is developing a new draft state highway investment proposal based on the guidance of the draft GPS, due in late April.

It will outline the proposed investment in state highway improvements during the next three years in line with available funding in the draft GPS.

ECan public transport senior manager Stewart Gibbon said the regional council was working with the Government to understand how the draft GPS would affect its transport plans in Canterbury.