Rail plan key policy for Labour
Labour is promising to build a light rail link from Auckland’s CBD to the airport as a priority as the first step in a 10-year plan that will eventually extend to West Auckland.
The airport link would be paid for partly from a regional fuel tax, Labour leader Jacinda Ardern announced from Auckland’s waterfront yesterday.
‘‘A world-class city needs a rail connection from the CBD to its international airport,’’ she said. ‘‘Let’s get Auckland moving by building a light rail network and accelerating investment in heavy rail and bus rapid transit. This is crucial to Auckland’s future growth.’’
The announcement is the first major policy to be unveiled since Ardern took the leadership last Tuesday and throws down the gauntlet to National to make rail to the airport a key election issue in the vote-rich city.
She said the plan was a ‘‘gamechanger’’ which would cut congestion that costs Auckland $2 billion a year.
The first step would be a light rail link to Mt Roskill in four years and then to West Auckland within a decade. That would be followed by a line connecting the North Shore to the CBD.
‘‘Light rail provides us numerous options that aren’t just about the airport. It provides us with the ability to connect the CBD and airport with other communities, it provides us the ability to extend the network and has the ability to carry about the same capacity and roughly a similar time to heavy rail,’’ Ardern told media following her announcement.
She also pledged Labour would build a Bus Rapid Transit service between the airport and East Auckland, and a third main trunk rail line to serve the commuter and freight rail traffic.
‘‘We’ll free up funding by getting better value for money from the East-West Link, and give Auckland the ability to fund its share of the investments through a regional fuel tax, infrastructure bonds, and targeted rates.’’
The fuel tax is estimated to raise $160 million a year at 10c a litre, and Labour’s full plan is costed at $3.3 billion, comprising new and accelerated projects over 20 years.
‘‘Essentially what we’re doing is finally giving Auckland Council a mechanism to help pay for some of the key infrastructure we’re announcing today. Aucklanders, I’m sure, realise we’ve got to do our bit to try and get this city moving.’’
While she acknowledged any additional cost on households, such as a fuel tax, would have an effect, Ardern said Auckland’s transport problems were already costing people an ‘‘enormous amount’’.
’’There’s lost productivity, lost time with friends and families. I think there’s a willingness now to do what we can to crowd-source together the funds needed to solve this problem,’’ she said. While the Waterview Tunnel had given ‘‘breath reprieve’’ to some of the congestion problems, Ardern said it wasn’t the ‘‘golden egg’’.
Labour associate transport spokesman Phil Twyford said Auckland needed a modern, fit-forpurpose transit system. ’’It’s time to retrofit the city with a 21stcentury rapid transit network.’’
National’s $2.6b election transport package, unveiled on Friday, did not mention plans for light rail to the airport, but it is known ministers are looking at the options. It included a new highway alongside the southern motorway between Drury and Manukau, improvements to the Northwestern Busway, and extra support for the Auckland Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative (AMETI).
Transport Minister Simon Bridges said the package would also include extending electrified rail from Papakura to Pukekohe, and a third track on the busy freight and passenger rail line between Westfield and Wiri.