Joyce Gets Another Question

 

Transport minister Steven Joyce faced more questioning in parliament this afternoon about the benefits of Auckland rail.

Yesterday it was Greens co-leader Russel Norman asking about whether Auckland would get the rail projects it wants.

Today’s its Greens’ transport spokesman, Gareth Hughes turn, who zeroed in on the success of the new Onehunga line.

Onehunga's new station is busy

Mr Hughes asked the minister:

Can he confirm that the largest portion of economic benefit coming from rail projects, such as the Auckland network electrification and the Onehunga branch line, are time savings for road users?

The minister said that in the case of the Auckland rail network upgrade, 44 percent of the economic benefits go to road users through time savings.

Gareth Hughes then asked: ” Which will do more to reduce congestion in Auckland: increasing rail patronage by expanding the network with the central business district rail loop or spending $2 billion on the Pūhoi to Wellsford “Holiday Highway”?

To which Steven Joyce said: “Well, I think that I will have to give the member a geography lesson, because the Pūhoi to Wellsford highway is not in the Auckland urban area; it is north of the Auckland urban area, linking Auckland with Northland. In terms of comparisons with other big urban transport projects, there are some other examples, as well—for example, the $430 million Victoria Park tunnel will provide about $900 million in travel time savings, which shows that all projects provide some savings, some more than others.”

You can watch the full exchange:

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4 Comments

 
  1. Anthony says:

    I have heard Lockward Smith wanting the
    SH1 ( Wellsford motorway) to be moved at a faster rate than Steven Joyce proposed.

  2. travis says:

    I love watching that prick squirm, he is so full of sh1t

  3. DanC says:

    I think our pressure is getting through, add oil worries and cost of fuel. “Rail not more roads”!

  4. LucyJH says:

    Lockwood Smith was unusually unfair then I thought. He is normally very even handed. Probably because he lives in Rodney and really wants that motorway built.

 

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