Transport Minister Michael Wood says suggestions to integrate some bus and cycle lane construction into routine road maintenance are "common sense".
Wood received a flurry of questions during question time on Tuesday after opposition parties attacked the Government's new draft transport priorities.
Yesterday, National and ACT suggested the proposals would take money away from fixing potholes and other maintenance, in order to build bus and cycle lanes.
"Labour is going to steal the money New Zealanders pay via petrol taxes to fix potholes and maintain the roads and instead use that money for cycleways," National's transport spokesperson Simeon Brown said.
But the Transport Minister said the opposition had mischaracterised parts of the proposal and that there was a "false choice" between emissions-reducing infrastructure and roading maintenance.
"For example, if a piece of maintenance work is being done on a piece of State highway, but we know that at the same time that piece of state highway should have additional safety infrastructure — such median barriers — it makes sense to use that maintenance to also invest in the safety infrastructure — something that hasn't happened to date.
Wood said the same dig-once principle would apply to installing new bus lanes and cycleways in "growing areas" at the same time as routine maintenance.
"The same can apply to, for example, investing in public transport infrastructure in growing areas at the same time as we are doing maintenance work.
"Most people will just call that common sense."
What's the controversy?
There are two parts of Wood's government policy statement (GPS) that have drawn criticism. National and ACT shifted gears to attack the Government yesterday after draft priorities for this year's GPS became widely publicised.
The first suggestion would have seen "emissions reduction" elevated to become the "overarching focus" of all transport investment decisions.
People have been cramming onto buses in Wellington, leaving some travellers stranded at stops as they reach capacity. (Source: 1News)
According to a briefing obtained by the NZ Herald, Wood told Cabinet it would represent a "significant shift" from earlier government policy directives on transport "in which the climate change priority was given equal weight to the other priorities."
A priority emphasised throughout last year's briefing was that reducing transport emissions would therefore involve less driving and more infrastructure for walking, cycling and public transport.
Additionally, there could be a "high threshold" for roads or other transport projects that "do not support emissions reduction objectives".
"Some interventions that result in increased emissions may be necessary to support the achievement of wider objectives – but there will be a high threshold for any such investments," according to a transport ministry engagement document.
In response, ACT leader David Seymour said: "The Government’s sole focus for the roading network should be getting people from A to B as safely and efficiently as possible."
He suggested the Government should instead be focused on maintenance and rebuilding roads in response to the extreme weather last month.
Responding to the criticism, Wood said that the "indicative transport priorities signed off by Cabinet last year will change in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle" with a new "emergency-style" policy statement to come.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Hipkins said: "I think you’ll see resilience and the resilience of the transport network being a much, much bigger priority.
"It was in the previous priorities, but I think you’ll find it’ll be front and centre of the final policy statement when it’s released."
Wood's second controversial suggestion was that authorities could have to consider whether to add bus or cycling lanes when roads come up for their routine maintenance.
"This requires asset management plans that are sufficiently forward-looking to anticipate the necessary long-term changes and that integrate those changes into maintenance schedules," he told Cabinet in his briefing last tear.
"My statement will convey the expectation that Waka Kotahi and local authorities start the planning for these changes now, so we are well positioned to make investment decisions that contribute towards decarbonising the transport system."
The two controversial proposals were disseminated to local councils for feedback late last year. Meanwhile, an engagement document on the 2024 GPS renewal has been available on the Transport Ministry website since at least the beginning of March.
Yesterday, National leader Christopher Luxon said he could not understand the proposal, and that he did not support it.
He said electric vehicles and hydrogen trucks were needed for a more "emissions-friendly" future, and those vehicles needed good roads to run on.
"Our road network's in terrible disrepair, and taking the maintenance money and putting it into cycle lanes, just seems like we're not solving the core problem."
Asked how National would reduce transport emissions, Luxon said the public would hear more about National's climate policy "in the coming weeks and months".
"One of the things that we're saying is... as a government, what is it that uniquely we can do that the market can't do. One of the things is if you think about charging networks, is there work that governments could do about consenting renewal energy quicker?"
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