Auckland slowly getting greener

Mandy Neugebauer says scooter travel in Auckland is more economical and less stressful. Photo / Richard Robinson

Auckland is gradually weaning itself off car dependency, with a slight increase in commuters opting for buses, trains and alternative transport.

"State of the City" - a report card for the Auckland isthmus and islands - showed that while car registrations fell 17 per cent between 2005 and 2009, motorcycle and scooter registrations climbed significantly.

Scooter use skyrocketed, with a 123 per cent increase in registrations, though the Herald understands this trend has dropped significantly since ACC levies were raised for two-wheeled vehicles.

Scooter rider Mandy Neugebauer, from Pt Chevalier, said even with the levy increase a scooter was an economical and less stressful commuting option in a congested city with few carparks.

She said the cost of registering a scooter - around $400 - was more than an entire year's petrol. She spent less than $10 a week on fuel.

In peak-hour traffic she could drive from Pt Chevalier to Karangahape Rd in 10 minutes.

"It's 10 minutes to everywhere ... with not too much trouble parking."

Ms Neugebauer said the ACC rises discouraged an alternative mode of transport which produced less emissions than a car.

The decrease in car ownership coincided with a 16 per cent increase in Aucklanders using public transport - partly through a growth in rail passengers.

The Ministry for the Environment estimated that congestion in greater Auckland cost the New Zealand economy about $1 billion a year.

State of the City's authors noted that the shift away from private vehicle use could be related to the economic downturn in 2008.

The report also showed the Auckland City Council making gradual progress in energy efficiency, minimising waste and reducing water consumption.

Energy use per head was down 1.5 per cent. However, the transport sector remained almost completely dependent on fossil fuels.

The Auckland Regional Council warned that if more energy-efficient initiatives were not pursued, the estimated energy demands of the Auckland region would increase by 65 per cent by 2031.

One of Auckland's most pressing environmental concerns, air pollution, has gradually decreased in the past decade. For the year to December 2008, there were four days where national ambient air quality guidelines were exceeded.

Regional councils have until 2013 to bring levels of lung problem-inducing particulate matter in the air to within voluntary World Health Organisation guidelines. If the guidelines were followed, urban centres would be allowed just one breach a year starting in 2013.

REPORT CARD 05-09

* Public transport use - up 16 per cent
* Car registrations - down 17 per cent
* Motor scooter registrations - up 123 per cent
* Electricity use* - down 1.5 per cent
* Waste to landfill* - down 12 per cent

Source: Auckland City Council (*2007-2008)