The government and Auckland Council will embark on New Zealand’s largest-ever civil construction programme to create a 21st-century transport network, Minister of Transport Phil Twyford and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said today.
$28 billion to improve Auckland's transport
“Together, we will invest $28 billion over the next decade to unlock Auckland’s potential. We will be building vital projects including light rail, Penlink and Mill Road, heavy rail and bus upgrades, safety improvements, and more dedicated cycle lanes,” says Phil Twyford.
“These much-needed investments are made possible by a $4.4 billion funding boost resulting from the Auckland fuel tax, reprioritisation of the National Land Transport Fund, and Crown Infrastructure Partners contributions.
“This plan is funded to deliver the projects we are committed to. The previous ATAP report, released by former Transport Minister Simon Bridges in August 2017, had a $5.9 billion funding gap. National had no plan to fix that fiscal hole, which would have meant the projects they promised couldn’t have been delivered."
“This $28 billion plan will help ease the awful congestion that has been caused by a decade of under-investment."
"We will create a congestion-free network in light rail and boost other alternatives to driving to help free up the roads and enable growth, and improve safety for drivers and others,” says Phil Twyford.
Project will transform Auckland: Mayor
Mayor Phil Goff said, “ATAP balances the need to deal with Auckland’s immediate and pressing transport needs, as well as being transformational for the future.
“ATAP reflects the need for efficient roading for green and brownfield housing development, new transport corridors and major arterial routes. But as Auckland grows we need to move from a focus on roading to a more balanced approach that promotes public transport and active transport networks.
“Auckland has to contribute its share and the regional fuel tax allows us to do that. The more than $4 billion expenditure it unlocks is critically important to progressing a better transport system for Auckland.
“To raise the same sum from rates would result in a total rate increase of over 13 per cent this year. Alternatively, to do nothing would see Auckland become increasingly gridlocked."
New revenues streams critical
“New forms of revenue such as an RFT to invest in our transport network and light rail to supplement buses, ferries and heavy rail are critical for an efficient and effective Auckland transport system. Auckland’s growth means additional investment in these areas is vital for us to tackle congestion problems.
“ATAP represents a significant increase in investment in our transport network, but we still need to find innovative ways to fund further development such as PPPs, special purpose vehicles or infrastructure bonds,” Phil Goff says.
ATAP includes $1.8 billion in funding for light rail. A work programme is underway to leverage sources of investment capital outside of ATAP for the City to Airport and North-Western lines, and an announcement will be made soon.
Under ATAP, Auckland will is expected to receive 38 per cent of the National Land Transport Fund over the next decade, proportionate with the region’s share of New Zealand’s population. However, Mayor Phil Goff says that still falls short of Auckland’s projected 55 per cent share of the country’s population growth over the next decade.
ATAP major investments include:
- Committed projects like the City Rail Link and northern motorway improvements.
- Light rail
- Eastern busway (Panmure-Botany)
- Airport-Puhinui State highway upgrade, including a high quality public transport link to an upgraded Puhinui rail station
- Bus priority programme, to more rapidly grow Auckland’s bus lane network and support faster, more reliable and more efficient bus services
- Albany-Silverdale bus improvements
- Lower cost East West Link to address key freight issues in the area
- Papakura-Drury motorway widening
- First phase of the Mill Road corridor
- Penlink (tolled)
- Walking and cycling programme to expand the network and complete key connections (e.g. SkyPath)
- Significant programme of safety improvements
- New transport infrastructure to enable greenfield growth
- Network optimisation and technology programme to make the best use of our existing network
- Rail network improvements including electrification to Pukekohe, additional trains and other track upgrades.
Find out more
More information on the ATAP update
Read more about the Auckland Transport Alignment Project
