Minister of Transport Michael Wood says that the government is committed to starting "early work" on the Light rail project by next year, followed by physical work in 2023 and 2024.
The Minister was speaking with Indian Weekender in an exclusive interview where key issues around transport, traffic congestion in Auckland, public transport, cycleways, and light rail were raised with him, along with the issues of ethnic migrant communities.
Responding to a question about the perceived delay in the start of the much-touted light rail project that envisages building a light rail and connecting Auckland CBD to Mt Roskill in four years and extending to Auckland airport in 10 years, the Minister strongly defended the government's approach and progress on the project.
Giving a broad timeline to the project, Wood said, "We do detailed design over the next one to two years. It's an enormous job for a significant project like this. It involves us working on the urban development side of it as well, as it is not just a transport project."
The Minister defended the perceived delay in the progress of the project and said that the government had made considerable progress in the design, making a business case, community engagement, and the tendering process.
The Labour Party had campaigned for the light rail project in the 2017 elections promising Aucklanders that the project would connect Auckland CBD to Mt Roskill in four years and extend to Auckland airport in 10 years.
However, coalition partner NZ First's opposition to the project did not allow any movement in the first term of the government.
Wood expressed confidence that the project is now envisaged to be completed in five to six years' time after the beginning of physical work in 2023-24, effectively meaning that it would be operational by around 2030-31.
He rebutted the alleged criticism within some quarters that the project had too long a delivery span, thus nullifying the Return on Investment (ROI) and contributing less in terms of removing the traffic congestion on Auckland roads.
"The projects of this size anywhere in the world take a long time. The problem that we have in Auckland and other big cities is that this kind of investment should have been made 50-60 years ago. The reason we have congestion now is because of our past failure to make that investment. So, we have to get on with it now," Wood asserted.
Govt committed to diversifying investment on multiple transport options
Minister Wood also reiterated that investing in light rail was not the only thing that the government was doing in the realm of transport but was "putting record transport investment in the system."
"[We want] …to make sure that our roads are working as efficiently as possible, to make sure that we have the public transport options, to make sure that our kids and other people can safely walk and cycle around communities," Wood said.
"Building more roads to solve road congestion is not a solution. It's like a fat man putting his belt out, which will not solve the problem. It will just give a little bit more space for a little bit longer.
"What we need to do is give people real transport choices. We are still investing in roads, looking after them, investing in them. But we are shifting that balance towards modes that we actually know will actually reduce congestion and reduces our emissions," the Minister pointed out how the government's transport policy was tied to the challenge of Climate change.
"If we are serious about tackling the climate change, we cannot continue doing the same thing," Wood asserted.
Minister Wood also defended the government's decisions on border closure on being asked about the plight of temporary visa holders locked out of NZ borders, saying that the government had taken some considerate steps that have brought some certainty in the lives of temporary migrants.
However, he sidestepped the question if the government would consider any special pathway to let those temporary migrants still overseas with expired visas back into the country.