Hundreds of millions of the Auckland Council’s billion-dollar climate action package will go to public transport funding, including electric and hydrogen buses, electric ferries and improving bus routes, if Mayor Phil Goff's latest proposal is approved.
The money will go towards six or seven new electric and low-emissions ferries and 79 new electric or hydrogen buses, as well as 10 new frequent bus routes across the city, an extension to the Northern Express up to Hibiscus Coast Station, and improvements to nearly 70 existing bus routes across the region.
"This will mean an extra 170,000 Aucklanders – 10% of the population – will live within 500 metres of a frequent bus route," Goff said.
The climate action package will also aim to deliver improved footpaths and cycle ways, and to enable the planting of thousands of native trees.
"In 2019, Auckland Council voted unanimously to declare a Climate Emergency... While we have made progress since then, including allocating $152 million to climate initiatives in our 10-year budget, Auckland is not remotely on track to reaching our target of halving emissions by 2030."
"The Climate Action Budget gives effect to our Climate Emergency declaration and subsequent climate plan by guaranteeing ring-fenced funding to cut emissions."
The proposed package will be partially funded by a new rate, the Climate Action Targeted Rate, which aims to generate $574 million over 10 years.
Goff said that for a person with a median-value home worth more than $1 million it will represent a contribution of around $1.12 each week.
"This small contribution will provide significant benefits to all Aucklanders by reducing emissions and pollution, easing congestion, and making the city a greener, more sustainable place to live."
Other key budget measures in the mayor's proposal, including a capital deferral of $230 million over the next three years, are designed to ensure the council's finances are sustainable in the face of "an increasingly challenging operating environment".
Goff said "these measures will ensure that council responds prudently to the rapidly evolving and unfavourable global economic factors such as increasing inflation and interest rates that have emerged since the start of 2022".
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