This investment will help deliver a more connected and efficient transport network for Aucklanders, with $7 more per $100 of rates invested compared with last year (totalling $37). Towards the end of 2026, New Zealand’s largest-ever transport infrastructure project will open in Tāmaki Makaurau, transforming the way people travel across the region.
City Rail Link – more than a 3.45km tunnel
After years of construction and disruption, the wait is almost over. The City Rail Link (CRL) will introduce 23 new trains, two world-class underground stations, redesigned bus routes and upgraded public spaces to Auckland’s city centre.
The benefits extend well beyond faster journeys. By creating a more connected public transport network, the CRL will make it easier for people across the region to get to work, schools, shops and entertainment venues in our city centre while helping reduce pressure on roads.
Once open, an additional 21,000 residents, 17,200 students and 37,000 jobs will be within a 12-minute walk of Karanga-a-Hape and Te Waihorotiu stations.
Bringing this major piece of infrastructure into service also comes with ongoing costs. Auckland Council’s share of running the CRL is around $235 million each year, making it the main driver of this year’s 7.9 per cent rates increase. While no one welcomes higher rates bills, meeting these costs now will mean we can return to much lower rates increases over the remaining years of the Long-term Plan.
Where else are we investing?
Alongside funding the CRL, your rates support projects that improve public transport, reduce congestion and make it easier to travel around the region.
Key projects under way this year include:
- Construction of the Rosedale Bus Station
- Removing level crossings at Glen Innes and Takanini
- Progressing the Eastern Busway between Pakūranga and Botany
- Upgrading Carrington Road
We’ll also continue investing in road safety improvements, cycleways, walking and cycling connections and ferry fleet replacements, alongside the renewal of essential infrastructure such as roads, bus stops, stations, footpaths and bridges.
Thanks to your rates contribution, we're creating a more connected, less congested Tāmaki Makaurau, benefitting Aucklanders today and for generations to come.