Auckland Transport/Supplied
An artist s impression of the $1.4 billion Eastern Busway which was expected to be completed in 2025. “For just a shadow less than it would cost to build the $867 million Pakuranga to Botany stage of the Eastern Busway, the Government has chosen to throw money at a vanity project that will do little to get commuters out of gridlock or address our productivity challenges,” he said. “Our communities out east remain woefully under-served by public transport options connecting them to greater Auckland.” In a statement, Wood agreed east Auckland has been waiting too long for modern, reliable public transport, and said that is why the Government has supported the busway project.
Work on the station upgrade began in 2019 and it was one of four shovel-ready transport projects that received Government funding last year. The Government provided $47m for the Papatoetoe project, while approximately $12m came from the Regional Fuel Tax and the balance has come from Crown Infrastructure Partners and development contributions. When the design contract was awarded in early 2019 it was expected to cost $58.8m, but according to Polley the cost of the project has increased due to rising costs and the impact of Covid-19 on international supply chains. AT had originally planned to have the station up and running by late 2020, or early 2021. But last year’s lockdowns and other logistical issues around shutting down the rail lines for the work meant the timeline for the project was extended.
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Press Release – New Zealand National Party
Since 2017 the Government has wasted $35 million of taxpayer money on light rail and has nothing to show for it, National’s Transport spokesperson Michael Woodhouse says.
“The Government has spent millions of dollars on a project that can’t even get off the drawing board. But that’s just the beginning, we still don’t know how much light rail will eventually end up costing, if it ever gets off the ground.
“Light rail from Auckland’s CBD to the airport was Labour’s flagship election policy in 2017. It was supposed to be up and running to Mt Roskill this year, but that dream is in tatters.