Dream of a long tunnel well and truly alive for Wellington - Editorial

National made a pre-election promise to start construction on a second Mt Victoria tunnel this term. Photo / Mark Mitchell

EDITORIAL

Amid talk of “phantom projects” and “speed bump infestations”, one such mirage-like project in Wellington appears to be gaining form as the Government sets its sights on traffic transformation.

The Government this week released its first National Land Transport Programme (NLTP), setting out where NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi will spend the national transport budget.

Overall, the plan allocates $32.9 billion to be spent over 2024-2027, $8b more than was spent under the last Government’s transport programme.

The big winner in the plan is the state highways improvement budget, with $7b going towards building additions to the highway network, including the 17 new roads of national significance promised by the National Party during the election campaign.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown said New Zealanders had rejected the previous Government’s transport policies, “which resulted in non-delivery, phantom projects, slower speed limits, and an infestation of speed bumps”.

“The Government is turning this around with record investment in transport projects that reduce travel times, improve public transport options, and build and maintain our roading network to the safe and reliable standard Kiwis expect,” he said.

One thing Wellingtonians would be expecting is a second Mt Victoria Tunnel, another of National’s pre-election promises.

The programme makes it clear that project is still happening in some form, but is silent on whether the Government can deliver on its promise to have spades in the ground this term — or even by 2027.

When asked about that commitment, Brown did not recommit to starting work on such a tunnel this term. He told the Herald the Government was investigating the feasibility of the long tunnel option, instead of simply building another tunnel much like the existing one.

“A second Mt Victoria tunnel will be one of the largest infrastructure projects Wellington has seen in a long time, and we want to ensure that we choose the right option for the city’s future. The project has been listed in the National Land Transport Programme as a priority and we look forward to NZTA beginning the project,” he said.

The second Mt Victoria tunnel, and improvements to the surrounding Basin Reserve area, was last estimated to cost $2.2b.

Nobody knows what a Wellington mega tunnel will cost. Stretching 4km under the city centre, it would be New Zealand’s largest tunnel. It would dwarf Auckland’s 2.4km Waterview tunnel and the 3.45km City Rail Link project.

It’s also not the first time such a tunnel has been considered. It was originally an option as part of the now-scrapped Let’s Get Wellington Moving, before being rejected in 2021 due to the “eye-watering” cost and it not fulfilling officials’ expectations.

At that point the long tunnel became a thing of dreams, a phantom if you will - until Brown brought it back to life this year. He was keen to reconsider.

In May, the Herald revealed that transport officials were once again investigating the merits of such a tunnel. By June $1 million had already been spent on consultants.

Three months later the mysterious project remains shrouded in secrecy, but this week has at least made Brown’s interest in it clear.

And while it’s hard to imagine the Government investing in such a major infrastructure project in the current economic climate, it’s also clear Wellington won’t be getting any tunnel until a decision on the long tunnel’s viability is made, again.

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