Auckland harbour crossing: Mayor Wayne Brown fires shot at major parties over start date and price tag

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says he will develop “faster and cheaper” Waitematā crossing plans as he fires a shot at Labour and National for putting politics above the city’s transport needs.

The Government’s decision to start construction in 2029 on two three-lane tunnels (one in each direction) for cars and trucks and a 21km light rail tunnel that would stretch from Albany to the Wynyard Quarter has drawn criticism from both Brown and the Green Party, while National and Act are supportive of the road tunnel option.

In a statement, Brown claimed both Labour and National had failed in their co-operation with the Auckland Council.

“Both major parties need to realise that their big transport plans won’t happen unless they work in partnership with Auckland, and that’s not what has happened here,” he said.

“The timing of an additional Waitematā Harbour crossing should be considered as part of an Integrated Transport Plan for Auckland. The proposals from both Labour and National to start it by 2029, and spend hundreds of millions of dollars on consultants in the meantime, are about politics, not transport.”

Brown said he and the council were “looking forward to working on some better, faster and cheaper plans”, but couldn’t specify when those plans would be developed.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is not happy with the Government's conduct regarding its decision for a second harbour crossing. Photo / Michael Craig

Northern Infrastructure Forum chair Simon Bridges welcomed the decision but said concern persisted over how the crossing would minimise congestion.

“All the previous modelling shows a pretty underwhelming de-congestion benefit for general traffic, and congestion didn’t even feature in the criteria that the crossing options were assessed against,” Bridges said.

“The next stage of analysis is going to have to include planning for widening the Northern Motorway between Northcote Rd and Constellation Drive, and we’d like to see some really innovative thinking brought to the table.”

Hipkins, revealing the decision yesterday alongside Transport Minister David Parker and several Auckland MPs, said it was time to act after many years of Aucklanders expressing their frustrations about worsening congestion.

“For decades we’ve heard about false starts, vested interests, political stalemates, a lack of vision and a lack of will.

“It’s time to stop that talk which has ground progress to a halt and we need to move into action mode, we need to continue the momentum.”

Indicative costings for the full plan total $35 billion to $44.5b. Hipkins said “all options are still on the table” regarding how the project would be funded, including tolling and public-private partnerships.

As the tunnels were built, two lanes on the existing bridge would be turned into dedicated bus lanes to extend the Northern Busway to the CBD, and some clip-on lanes would become cycling lanes and walkways. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency was also looking into building an elevated walkway above the cycle lanes to separate pedestrians.

The current Auckland harbour bridge will have designated bus and cycle lanes after the tunnels are built.

The remaining four lanes would be for general traffic.

It was expected Cabinet would make final approval on the build early next year, but it was proposed the road tunnels would be built ahead of the light rail tunnel.

Green Party co-leader James Shaw said the road tunnels weren’t the option that would best address congestion.

“At the very least, they should have prioritised the light rail tunnel first. That would alleviate congestion and then would make planning for the roads clearer [with regard to] exactly what the required demand is,” Shaw said.

“Frankly, during the climate crisis, it’s a bit bonkers to be building more roads.”

Green Party transport spokeswoman Julie Anne Genter said the chosen option proved the Government wasn’t serious about the climate or congestion.

“Two new three-lane urban motorway tunnels in a climate crisis is pouring fuel on the fire of an already overheating planet,” Genter said.

“It is maddening that on the one hand, Labour can say the economic conditions aren’t right for a fair tax system that will benefit millions of people, and on the other announce unbelievably expensive and poorly-thought-through transport projects.

“The Prime Minister says money doesn’t grow on trees, but apparently it does grow on roads.”

Parker defended the tunnel option, saying the emissions embedded in the construction were unavoidable given the machinery required. He also noted it was estimated that within 15 years, Auckland would “grind to a halt” amid population growth so beginning work immediately was critical.

National leader Christopher Luxon (centre) with MPs Simeon Brown (left) and Chris Penk, speaks to the Govt's Auckland harbour crossing decision. Photo / Alex Burton

National leader Christopher Luxon, speaking from Kumeū, said the tunnel option was the “right way to go”, given the importance of sufficient car and freight movement across the harbour.

“We’ll have a good look at it in government, but I think a tunnel is what our preferred option has been for some time under the previous Government and in Opposition as well, so we’ll have a good look at it, but clearly it’s one of those projects that we want to progress as well,” Luxon said.

He believed it was unlikely a Labour Government could deliver on the timeframes set out.

“It’s just not credible. This Government has had six years [and] it hasn’t been able to finish a single roading or infrastructure project, so it’s all too little, too late.”

Act leader David Seymour echoed Brown in his scepticism of the Government’s motivations in Sunday’s announcement, noting it was less than 10 weeks until the election.

He backed the road tunnel option but would want to accelerate the project.

“If we’re in government, we’ll be asking how can we make this happen as fast or faster than promised.”