National wants to outspend Labour on transport but can't say how it will do it

Tuesday, 11 February 2020

A mass public transport system is due to be constructed between Wellington Railway Station and the airport as part of the $6.4 billion Let's Get Wellington Moving programme.

National wants to outspend Labour on transport, but can't say how will it do it, or by how much.

Welcome to the pre-election season, in which big promises are outdone by even bigger promises.

Hot on the heels of Labour's hefty $6.8 billion transport package announcement a couple of weeks ago, National has now pledged to spend even more should it win the next election.

National backs itself to sway its transport partners and bring forward construction of an extra Mt Victoria tunnel if it wins the next election. (File photo)

Exactly how much it will spend is not yet clear, but it will definitely be more than Labour.

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For Wellington commuters, that means an extra Mt Victoria tunnel being brought forward in the transport programme - should the other Let's Get Wellington Moving partners agree to it.

National transport spokesperson Chris Bishop says commuters are still using a two-lane tunnel built in 1931. (File photo)

Construction of the $700 million tunnel, which includes widening Ruahine St and Wellington Rd, is currently pencilled in to start sometime before 2029, with completion several years later.

If National gets its way, that will happen much sooner, and central Government will pay more for the project than currently proposed.

Presumably, it would save millions by doing away with the idea of a $1 billion-plus light rail system between the city's railway station and airport, opting instead for trackless trams or a rapid bus route.

Under the current Let's Get Wellington Moving arrangement - a joint agreement between the New Zealand Transport Agency, Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council - all three of those options are on the table, with a $2.2b price tag attached to the project.

But any major changes to the 30-year programme would need to be passed not only by NZTA, but also the city and regional councils.

Many of those councillors feel too much time has been spent on finally reaching a consensus over the capital's transport future, and any major changes would hold the project up.

National is also uneasy with ratepayers paying up to 40 per cent of the capital's transport projects, and plans to target motorists instead through congestion charging and universal road user charges.

In any case, the Mt Victoria tunnel project shapes as the key Wellington election issue for National heading into September 19.

It certainly can't be the long-awaited Melling interchange, or the Ōtaki to north of Levin highway, both of which were shunted in Labour's initial transport schedule then put back on the agenda in time for the election.

The road-heavy 10-year transport package may have taken some of the wind out of National's campaign plans, but it will still have plenty of room to play with when it comes to teasing voters about easing congestion at a major State Highway 1 chokepoint.