New transport funding announcement great news for Hamilton
28 June 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hamilton Mayor Andrew King says today’s announcement of increased government funding for roads, rail and public transport is great news for the city.

Minister of Transport Minister Phil Twyford has released the Government Policy Statement 2018 on Land Transport, which increases investment from $3.6 billion in 2017/18 to $4 billion in 2018/19. It will continue to rise to $4.7 billion a year by 2027/28.

Mayor King says the Government’s 10-year plan for transport further enhances the partnership between government and local councils, and will make a big difference in how Hamilton can improve safety for all transport options, ease congestion and support growth.

“This announcement, on the same day our Council adopted our own 10-Year Plan, means we will be able to reduce some of the burden on our ratepayers to improve Hamilton’s transport system,” Mayor King says.

The policy statement indicates NZ Transport Agency subsidies (known as a Funding Assistance Rate or FAR), will be increased for qualifying high-priority transport projects. The new FAR is set halfway between Hamilton’s normal FAR rate of 51% and 100%, for all locally-delivered projects.

“Even before today’s announcement, our partnership with government is, and will be, a key part of Hamilton’s success. Hamilton’s share of the Housing Infrastructure Fund’s interest-free loan will allow us to support new housing in the south of the city, and save our ratepayers close to $70 million in interest alone in the next 10-years,” Mayor King says.

Councillor Dave Macpherson, chair of the Council’s Growth and Infrastructure Committee, says the FAR decision could provide a substantial increase in subsidies for Hamilton’s roads, footpaths, cycleways and public transport in the next 10 years.

“We know Hamilton is a city on the move, with thousands of new homes needed in the next 10 years. People want to be part of our city, and this puts increased pressure on our services and infrastructure,” Cr Macpherson says.

“Further government investment in local transport can only be good news for Hamilton, and for the wider region. We want our roads to be safer, we want more transport options for our communities, and we want public transport to be more accessible. We look forward to working with Minister Twyford and NZ Transport Agency to further improve safety, access and congestion for our city,” Cr Macpherson says.

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