Auckland Mayor Phil Goff and councillors yesterday agreed to partner with the Government on "the largest and most complex infrastructure project undertaken in New Zealand", saying it would be part of the rapid transit network for Auckland.
Rapid transit is high-speed urban transit separated from traffic, such as trains and the Northern Busway. There are future plans for lines to the North Shore (including a new harbour crossing), North West and from Botany to the airport.
A report to the governing body said investment in rapid transit dovetails with focusing intensification through the Unitary Plan to create communities with access to homes, jobs, businesses and recreation.
Cabinet has made a decision on light rail in Auckland from the CBD to the airport, but Transport Minister Michael Wood said it will not be announced until early 2022 to "present the full picture".
Cabinet had three options to consider, with indicative costs of between $9 billion and $16.3b - modern-day trams running at street level, a London-style underground metro and a middle option with a tunnelled section from Wynyard Quarter to Mt Roskill.
Transport Minister Michael Wood. Photo / Alex Burton
The middle option of tunnelled light rail costing $14.6b was the preferred option of an Establishment Unit set up by the Government this year to get the project back on track after a messy process last term that ended with NZ First blocking it.
The Government has set aside $1.8b for light rail but has not worked out how to fully fund the project, which is not expected to open before the late 2020s at the earliest.
The council said it is not in a financial position and cannot contribute to the cost of the construction of light rail to the airport.
The Covid-19 pandemic has punched a $750m hole in the council's budget over the next few years, Treasury is worried about a budget blowout on the $4.4b City Rail Link the council and the Government are funding, and senior council finance officers say the financial outlook remains highly uncertain.
