The Campaign For Better Transport

TVNZ reports:

New Zealand’s state highway network is subsidised by about $1.5 billion each year, which is scuppering the coastal shipping industry, the New Zealand Shipping Federation says.

It cited a government-commissioned report, the Rockpoint Corporate Finance report, Coastal Shipping and Modal Freight Choice, for the New Zealand Transport Agency, which was released last week.

An excellent letter to the editor of The Dominion Post today:

OPINION: KiwiRail will find it very difficult to ever make a profit while taxpayers and ratepayers heavily subsidise its competition – the trucking industry.

Auckland Business Forum chairman Michael Barnett states that planning for Auckland’s future transport needs is inadequate and that we need a vision beyond 2015.  Graeme Hunt reports in the Herald.

Auckland Business Forum chairman Michael Barnett says the region is still playing catch-up when it comes to road spending and development, despite new projects being announced by the new Government…..

…..Barnett says people are starting to look at the productivity gains that could be achieved by an efficient transport network but planning for future transport needs is inadequate. “We are planning … not future-proofing. We are standing still. By 2015 when the network is complete we will have done little else but stood still.”

Michael Barnett does seem rather roading-focused though, putting the priority on completing the roading network before addressing public transport.

“With a complete roading network you have options and choices, especially for public transport.”

“At the end of the day we do need a network of roads and once we have done that we can look at better bus services and things like congestion charges.”

He [Michael Barnett] urges people to look at developments [beyond 2015] such a third harbour crossing, an east-west link and better roads to extend Auckland into Northland and Waikato.

Surely we have to stop “completing” the roading network at some stage and consider rail as an alternative!

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