Mayor wants Govt, motorists to cover 80pc of rail link

Auckland Mayor Len Brown. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Len Brown Auckland Mayor Len Brown wants the Government and motorists to meet 80 per cent of the cost of the $2.4 billion city rail link.

Mr Brown said yesterday he assumed the Government would pay half the cost of the city's number one public transport project, and motorists 30.9 per cent through tolls and congestion charges.

Ratepayers would contribute 16.6 per cent of the cost and development contributions 2.5 per cent.

Speaking at the release of his first long-term plan, Mr Brown said the case for the 3.5km rail link had been made many times and the growth of the city centre was not possible without it.

"The rail network will run out of capacity even with the EMUs (new electric trains) in 12 years and the bus network in eight years."

Mr Brown said the designation process would start this year, property acquisitions would begin next year and "construction starts in 2016".

"Ratepayers cannot fund this project alone," Mr Brown said.

He said a discussion paper on funding the project, particularly the issue of tolls and congestion charges, would be released in February.

Councillor Mike Lee, who chairs the council transport committee and sits on the Auckland Transport board, said the Government should pay the full cost of the rail link because it would become part of the Government-owned rail network.

Last night, Transport Minister Steven Joyce said it was highly unlikely that 80 per cent of the rail link would be funded from Government taxes.

Mr Joyce acknowledged that Mr Brown had to include funding sources in the long-term plan, but said the Auckland Council was getting ahead of itself.

He said Mr Brown had not approached the Government about his funding breakdown for the link.

Green Party transport spokesman Gareth Hughes said the Government could afford to fund at least 60 per cent of the rail link.

The party supported alternative funding mechanisms, such as congestion charges, so as not to rely solely on rates.