Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Auckland Light Rail Back On Track, Greens Welcome Engagement With Community

The Green Party is welcoming the announcement today by the Minister of Transport that Auckland light rail is getting back on track.

“It is really positive to see the plan for Auckland light rail back on the agenda with an establishment unit to engage with Aucklanders on what works for them,” says Green Party spokesperson for transport Julie Anne Genter.

“Auckland has demonstrated that when Government invests in fast, frequent public transport, people flock to it.

“Light rail from the City Centre to Mangere will unlock new housing and jobs, and give Aucklanders better options for getting around the city, while taking cars off the city’s congested roads.

“Ground-level light rail is the Green Party’s preferred option as it can deliver the benefits of a more expensive metro system at a substantially lower cost. That means the Government can afford to extend the light rail network further, faster, including to the north western suburbs and across the Harbour Bridge to the North Shore.

“Street-level light rail is also more easily accessible for people with mobility issues and avoids the significant property purchases and disruption that comes with tunnelling and building underground stations.

“With street-level light rail, we estimate there could be a train every four minutes at peak times, taking 40 minutes from Queen Street to the Airport. Three quarters of the journey would be separated from roads, allowing speeds of up to 100 km/h, but obviously slower though suburban centres.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“This project is about much more than travel to the airport - it’s about the liveability of Auckland. It will connect employment centres and places where people live, and enable more homes to be built near rapid transit.

“It’s crucial we act now to ensure people living in Auckland get more choice to get around faster, all while helping our largest city transition to a low carbon city.”

 

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.