Auckland Council budget: Road safety cuts could see 10 more deaths this year

Friday, 29 May 2020

Road safety cuts in Auckland could result in 10 more deaths, a report says (FILE PHOTO)

Auckland Council's proposed 'red budget' could lead to 10 more road deaths and 40 more serious injuries in the coming year, due to a road safety improvement programme being slashed.

Auckland Transport's road safety programme will be cut from $107.7 million to just $36m in the coming year, and council analysis described the potential higher death and injury toll as a 'worst case scenario'.

It is part of an Emergency Budget hastily re-shaped to take into account a forecast $525 million revenue hit, due to Covid-19.

The road safety programme was a high-profile and flagship project for AT, proposing reduced speed limits, and road and signage upgrades across the region.

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'A delay of two years in beginning the implementation of the road safety programme could result in an additional 900 DSI (deaths and serious injuries) on Auckland’s roads over ten years,' said AT.

Transport spending has been hit hard in response to a $113 cut expected in a wide range of transport-related revenue.

A detailed report on the Emergency Budget released on Friday shows new walking and cycling projects will go on hold, public transport fares may rise 4 per cent - a record in recent years - and some services may be cut in wide-ranging cutbacks reflecting a forecast $525 million Covid-19 hit.

The Government is working on a road safety strategy to drive substantial improvements in road safety in New Zealand. (Video first published in December 2019)

The 113-page paper also shows the balancing act being sought between prudent financial management, and the need to not cut too deeply into the city's economic fabric, especially in vulnerable communities.

The proposed Emergency Budget, out for three weeks of public consultation, adds the option of a lower, 2.5 per cent rate raise, alongside the previously proposed 3.5 per cent, to recognise Covid-19 hardship.

It proposes under the 3.5 per cent scenario, sweeping cuts, and deferrals to everything from climate change action, bus fleet electrification, to a pause on upgrading community facilities, and many transport plans such as safety improvements, intersection red-light cameras, and new walking and cycling projects.

Debt will rise beyond the council's self-imposed standards, and staff numbers will be cut significantly across the council and its major agencies.

Library budgets will be cut by 28 per cent, affecting some opening hours, and new acquisitions.

The council budget report showed Auckland Transport argued a list of concerns about the scale of cutbacks to its works programme.

It signalled 'significant job losses, which will be slow and expensive to rebuild in the future, the loss of construction industry capacity and capability and increased roading maintenance costs in the medium term as a result of deferred renewals.'

Council staff argued against cutting capital spending lower than the proposed $2.3 billion, because of the wider impact.

'The advice of the council’s chief economist is that it is critically important to continue to invest in quality capital projects at this time to stimulate the Auckland Economy,' it said.

Council staff also warned of possible flow-on effects from deep cuts to Auckland Council's operating budget.

'The nature of many services provided by or on behalf of the council are associated with lower paying jobs, so some service reductions may have a disproportional effect on lower income households.'

'In addition, many grants and community services provided by the council help support the communities in Auckland that are most in need so reduction in these areas could have a noticeable impact on those communities.'