The Government's announcement of an up-to-$45 billion transport mega-plan for Auckland's North Shore has drawn cost criticisms from other political parties.
An additional harbour crossing has been promised by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins today, with a road tunnel being built first before additional dedicated public transport, walking and cycling space would be re-allocated on the existing bridge.
Hipkins stressed the plan's components would be "staged" and "phased" whilst the total cost also included motorway floodproofing and a new 21 kilometre train tunnel between the Auckland city centre and Albany.
National's transport spokesperson Simeon Brown said Labour is focused on "endless announcements" and pointed to the Government's record on delivering light rail.
"This is yet another desperate announcement by a Labour Government that has failed to deliver one major new transport project in their entire six years in office," he said.
"After six years of reports, promises, studies, consultations and announcements, Labour admitted this week it hasn't even finished a business case for light rail to the airport. Transport Minister David Parker has no idea which route it will take.
"Rather than make those decisions, Labour is now promising to extend light rail to the North Shore.
"Labour has no idea how the plans will be funded."
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said construction is set to begin by the end of this decade. (Source: 1News)
Brown restated his party's commitment towards building a new harbour crossing that "at a minimum provides for additional road connections" to the North Shore.
"National will look closely at the proposed tunnels across the Waitematā Harbour, as a second harbour crossing is a critical part of Auckland's future," he said.
“National is supportive of additional vehicle lanes to Auckland's North Shore to create a more resilient harbour connection."
Last week, the party announced a $24 billion plan to build 13 major new roads across the country, and three new public transport projects in Auckland.
Reacting to the Government's announcement, the Greens' transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said the project was emissions-intensive and wouldn't fix traffic congestion.
But Labour has labelled the party's plans as "a false promise" and "shoddy" because the numbers are supposedly out by billions. (Source: 1News)
"Aucklanders deserve a 21st-century transport network with rapid transit connecting people where they want to go, without having to sit around in gridlock on clogged motorways," she said in a media release.
"These road tunnels are carbon-intensive to build, and they would cost tens of billions of dollars that should instead be invested in low carbon transport options like regional rail.
"At the very least, the Government should have prioritised the light rail first."
She said it was "maddening" that Labour hadn't adopted the Greens' wealth tax proposals on the basis of the turbulent economy whilst announcing "unbelievably expensive and poorly thought through transport projects".
"The prime minister says money doesn't grow on trees, but apparently, it does grow on roads."
She said the Greens wanted a new harbour crossing to be train-only, which which would "save billions" for use on "other rail links in the region and beyond".
Meanwhile, local cycling advocacy group Bike Auckland criticised plans to only build a walking and cycling connection after at least one road tunnel was completed.
The lobby group's Karen Hormann told 1News that it continued to support plans to immediately re-allocate an existing lane on the harbour bridge for walking and cycling.
"The timelines are way off into the future," she said.
"We have a proposal to allocate a lane currently on the harbour bridge for people to ride bikes, to walk, for active modes to cross the bridge now.
"It's a much cheaper way, and people need that choice, particularly on the North Shore, where they can't cross the harbour any other way."
Earlier today, the Government announced the indicative costs that make up its plans.
- Indicative cost of road tunnels: $12-15 billion
- Indicative cost of SH1 improvements: $1.0-1.5 billion
- Indicative cost of Northern Busway upgrades: $0.5 billion
- Indicative cost of walking and cycling improvements: $0.5 billion
- Indicative cost of light rail tunnel (CBD to North Shore): $8.5-11 billion
- Indicative cost of light rail tunnel (North Shore to Albany): $12.5-16 billion
- Indicative overall cost: $35-45 billion
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