Govt will work with council on Auckland's transport

Auckland Mayor-elect Len Brown with Prime Minister John Key. Photo / Dean Purcell

The Government will work in partnership with the new Auckland council to improve the city's transport systems, Prime Minister John Key says.

He said today the Government shared Mayor Len Brown's vision of getting Auckland moving and it was a government priority as well.

"The Government will work in partnership with the new Auckland City Council on what comes next, and contribute its fair share to the continuing goal of improving transport," Mr Key said at his post-cabinet press conference.

"The next step for the new mayor is to meet his council and discuss priorities and work out how much ratepayers are prepared to contribute to accelerating new projects."

Mr Key, who expects to meet Mr Brown on Thursday, said the Government already had a $5 billion investment programme for Auckland's transport systems.

"I believe this investment will make it much easier to get around Auckland, but there's always more to do," he said.

Earlier today Mr Key said he didn't think there was much that could be read into the election of a left-leaning mayor to lead Auckland and any wider implications for general elections.

"For a variety of reasons I don't think there's a great correlation, frankly, between what happens locally and what happens nationally," he said.

"Sure, the left will try and argue that case but it's actually not correct - in fact under Helen Clark's reign we saw John Banks voted in and voted out."

Mr Key said he wasn't concerned about the dynamics between a left-leaning mayor, a centre-right government and a right-wing Local Government Minister, Rodney Hide.

"I have to deal with people on the left and on the right ... I do what's best for New Zealand," he said.


- NZPA