An artist impression of mass rapid transit at Post Office Square as part of Let's Get Wellington Moving. Image / Supplied
An artist impression of mass rapid transit at Post Office Square as part of Let's Get Wellington Moving. Image / Supplied
OPINION:
Light rail could be scrapped to keep everyone on board with the $7.4 billion Let’s Get Wellington Moving (LGWM) transport plan.
National has already promised to kill light rail if it gets into government. There is also a sizeable chunk of both city and regional councillors who are keento see it go.
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) from the city’s central train station to Island Bay is the centrepiece of the plan but a final decision on what mode will go on that route is yet to be made.
The current Labour Government is keen on light rail, confirming it as part of its preferred option for LGWM.
This option also includes a new Mt Victoria tunnel with two lanes for cars and two for public transport. The existing tunnel will be transformed into one for walking and cycling. Upgrades will also be made to improve traffic flow at the Basin Reserve, which involves an extension of the Arras Tunnel.
Despite the Government’s clear preference for light rail, it has also had to leave the door open for another form of MRT.
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is being further investigated alongside light rail as an alternative. This has been described as a “fallback position or Plan B” if housing intensification assumptions don’t stack up to justify a more costly but efficient light rail.
A 2022 Cabinet paper shows the overall difference in capital expenditure between the Government’s preferred option and option 2 (which uses BRT instead) is about $300m.
National’s transport spokesman Simeon Brown said the party will not proceed with light rail in Wellington, claiming it doesn’t stack up.
“National will focus effort and resources on improving roading connections for car and non-car users with a big push to deliver more reliable and frequent bus services.”
Transport Minister Michael Wood and Finance Minister Grant Robertson announcing the Government's preferred option for Let's Get Wellington Moving. Photo / Mark Mitchell
A detailed policy will be announced closer to the election, Brown said.
Ahead of the local body election campaign last year, this column argued that mayoral hopefuls should not relitigate LGWM with new transport policies.
The last thing Wellingtonians want is to spend a moment longer pondering what should and shouldn’t be included in the plan.
But the light rail question remains undecided and is, I acknowledge, fair game - especially at a central government level.
A Detailed Business Case (DBC) on the preferred option isn’t expected to be completed until 2024, well clear of the election. Further investigation into bus rapid transit and light rail is a part of this work, although it’s expected this will be completed sometime in advance of the DBC being finalised.
What the next government wants matters because the next parliamentary term will see the preferred option for LGWM confirmed, with the plan moving to the design phase.
LGWM is a three-way partnership - also referred to in some circles as a three-headed monster.
The parties involved are Wellington City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council, and Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency.
So, the Government doesn’t necessarily call the shots but it is paying the lion’s share of 60 per cent of LGWM. Local government will foot the bill for the remaining 40 per cent.
Last year both the regional and city councils voted to support the Government’s preferred option.
That doesn’t mean to say everyone around those tables agrees.
Wellington City councillors Nicola Young, Ray Chung, Tim Brown, John Apanowicz and Tony Randle are not keen on light rail. Councillor Diane Calvert said the preference for light rail must seriously be under question. Councillor Sarah Free said she would be concerned if the focus on light rail meant a lack of urgency and funding for bus lanes and bus priority elsewhere in the city.
Meanwhile, councillors Tamatha Paul, Iona Pannett, Teri O’Neill, Laurie Foon, Rebecca Matthews, Nureddin Abdurahman, Nīkau Wi Neera and Ben McNulty were keen on light rail. That means eight of 16 elected members openly support light rail.
Mayor Tory Whanau campaigned on light rail but when asked whether she supported it, she did not directly answer the question and said the decision must be based on robust data through the detailed business case.
Regional council chairman Daran Ponter was reluctant to give a straight answer too, only saying he supported MRT.
His fellow regional councillors Simon Woolf, Penny Gaylor, Adrienne Staples, Chris Kirk-Burnnand, and David Lee were not keen. Councillors Hikitia Ropata and David Bassett indicated they wanted more information from the DBC to inform their views.
Councillors Quentin Duthie, Yadana Saw, Ros Connelly, Ken Laban, and Thomas Nash supported light rail. So, just five of 13 elected members openly support the light rail plan.
Most councillors acknowledged they are in the middle of a decision-making process and the DBC will provide much-needed further detail.
But with the prospect of a new government opposing light rail - along with the scepticism at a local government level - light rail could end up being the sacrificial lamb to keep momentum behind LGWM.
• Senior Wellington journalist Georgina Campbell’s fortnightly column looks closely at issues in the capital.
