Toll roads likely for Auckland

Motorists look increasingly likely to be tolled to use new highway links around Auckland, despite a big increase in Government transport spending flagged last night.

State funding agency Land Transport New Zealand announced a 19.5 per cent rise to almost $1.7 billion for the financial year starting today and projected spending of $21 billion over the next decade.

This is not counting a $500 million one-off Government boost to transport from a tax windfall that National says may have to be repaid to the country's largest banks, details of which will be announced next month.

Despite a record allocation of $873 million this year for building and maintaining state highways, ballooning costs mean Transit New Zealand is considering borrowing extra money for repayment through tolls for key links needed to complete Auckland's network.

Transit says this will allow earlier starts than otherwise possible on three sections of the long-awaited western ring route to relieve crippling bottlenecks through the central motorway junction to the harbour bridge.

Auckland has been allocated $449 million for roads, public transport and other items such as walking and cycling lanes - 26.5 per cent of the national funding cake - compared with $405 million last year.

The Waikato will receive $142 million, up $4.5 million from last year, and the Bay of Plenty gets a $15 million funding boost to $83 million.

But Northland's $52 million is $7 million less than last year.

The Auckland projects tipped for tolls include a 5km bypass of Hobsonville, the estimated cost of which has more than doubled since last year to $193 million, and a $1.15 billion motorway extension through Avondale previously priced at $850 million. Transit expects to start building the Hobsonville link in 2007 and Avondale in 2009.

Hobsonsville was supposed to start next summer, to connect to a duplicate bridge across the upper Waitemata Harbour and a motorway stretch already under construction through Greenhithe to Albany.

But Transit chief executive Rick van Barneveld said last night that a construction start even in two years would only be possible if his agency could borrow money to supplement Government funds.

He said Transit had brought forward construction of the Avondale link between the Southwestern and the Northwestern Motorways by one year, and would try to start building it even earlier.

An earlier start may also be possible for a duplicate Mangere Bridge on the Southwestern Motorway, which is now scheduled for 2009.

But the National Party and the Northern Employers and Manufacturers Association expressed scepticism at the targets, given long delays to projects such as the $169 million extension of the Southwestern through Mt Roskill, which is due to start next month.

A one-way tunnel Transit plans to start building under Victoria Park in central Auckland in 2008 - a year earlier than forecast - has rocketed to $370 million from an estimate the agency gave the Auckland Regional Council of little more than $200 million.

Land Transport NZ also intends spending $240 million this year on public transport, up from about $160 million in its previous budget, although an accounting change has made direct comparisons difficult.

Toll prospects

* SH18 Hobsonville Deviation, $193 million.

* SH20 Avondale link between Southwestern and Northwestern Motorways, $1.15 billion.

* Duplicate Mangere Bridge on SH20, $189 million.