12. Public Transport Auckland—Rail Options for Waitematā Harbour CrossingJULIE ANNE GENTER (Green) to the Minister of TransportPublic Transport Auckland—Rail Options for Waitematā Harbour Crossing12. JULIE ANNE GENTER (Green) to the Minister of Transport: Will he commit to prioritising rail to Auckland's North Shore as part of the additional Waitematā Harbour crossing; if not why not?Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Minister of Transport): The proposed additional crossing will include a rapid public transit link and as I have said a number of times now as part of planning for the additional crossing the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) and Auckland Transport are investigating what type of rapid public transport will be best. Until those investigations have been completed it is premature for me to favour one option over another.Julie Anne Genter: Is a rail-only option being considered and evaluated by the New Zealand Transport Agency and Auckland Transport right now?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Not rail only but it is incredibly early days in terms of the kind of rapid public transit link that there might be and we are keeping options open in that regard.Julie Anne Genter: So can I confirm that the rail-only option is not being considered as one of the many possible options that could exist for the future Waitematā Harbour crossing?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: It is clearly not going to be rail only but in terms of the rapid public transit link that would be part of this we are keeping our options open.Julie Anne Genter: How can he evaluate what is going to be best value for money if all options are not being considered?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I think as I have said it is incredibly early days. We are at the route protection stage at the moment. We are talking about a project at the moment at least scheduled to be built in the mid-2020s to the late-2020s. The decisions will be made on the basis of investigation not ideology. The options are open and that is certainly the case in relation to the form of rapid public transit link that there will be.Julie Anne Genter: Given that a rail link is extremely popular with Aucklanders and it would give them better choices to get around as well as taking pressure off the existing road network and being the logical next step after the City Rail Link why is he not making a rail option at least one of the options that is being evaluated under the New Zealand Transport Agency's investigations?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I think a rail option will be investigated as part of the options they go through but not a rail-only option at the exclusion of everything else. That is the point I have been trying to make. I would also make the point of course when we talk about public transport on the North Shore that there is the Northern Busway. There are very significant extensions going on to the Northern Motorway at the moment including extensions to the Northern Busway that are being planned and of course there are other public transport and alternative transport options which I know the member will be in favour of that have gone through consultation and are being worked on such as SeaPath on the North Shore as well. There is a strong number of planning processes under way in relation to public transport right now and in relation to this crossing. It is early days and we will work our way through it.Julie Anne Genter: I seek leave to table the NZTA's route protection designation which is for a road-only crossing.Mr SPEAKER: And is that available easily for members to get on the website?Julie Anne Genter: I think it is not available on the website.Mr SPEAKER: I will put the leave and then the House can decide. Leave is sought to table that particular NZTA information. Is there any objection? There is objection.