12. Transport Auckland—CongestionMICHAEL WOOD (Labour—Mt Roskill) to the Minister of TransportTransport Auckland—Congestion12. MICHAEL WOOD (Labour—Mt Roskill) to the Minister of Transport: Does he think after nine years of a National-led Government that traffic congestion in Auckland is getting better or worse when the TomTom index shows that Auckland now has more traffic congestion than Hong Kong and that congestion has almost doubled since 2014?Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Minister of Transport): I acknowledge that congestion has been a growing issue for Auckland because its economy and population has been growing strongly. Auckland like other rapidly growing cities is experiencing increasing pressure on its transport network. The member may be interested to know that Auckland is growing at twice the rate of Hong Kong at 1.5 percent a year compared with 0.8 percent. However significant improvements in travel times are being experienced by Aucklanders very recently as much-needed infrastructure is coming on. Two recent examples of projects delivering a real difference for Aucklanders are the Southern Motorway improvements which have cut up to 23 minutes off commute times and the impressive Waterview tunnel which is delivering equally impressive and in some cases more impressive travel-time savings. With the pipeline of work this Government has under way Aucklanders have and will continue to notice improvements to their travel times.Michael Wood: Why after 9 years in Government has Auckland traffic congestion actually got four to five times worse since 2013 according to research released today by the Employers and Manufacturers Association Infrastructure New Zealand Auckland Airport Ports of Auckland and the National Road Carriers?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Really I have said the main points here which are that I accept that congestion has been a real growing issue for a growing city our city of Auckland. But actually very recently we are seeing very meaningful improvements in terms of congestion. Actually a 7 percent reduction in congestion on the Southern and Northern Motorways something like a 14 to 21 percent reduction in travel times on the arterials such as Mount Eden and Dominion Roads as a result of Waterview. So as we get projects that have taken a long time to come to fruition like new lanes on the Southern Motorway and Northern Motorway coming and Waterview that is actually reducing congestion.Michael Wood: How after 9 years in Government can he justify the $1.3 billion of annual productivity loss caused by gridlock in Auckland and is this not evidence that National is holding back Auckland's growth and prosperity?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Well I agree with the thesis of the report. I mean no one wants to see congestion. That is why we have such an ambitious programme and as those projects come on—Hon Members: Ha ha!Hon SIMON BRIDGES: —well they laugh but actually hundreds of thousands of Aucklanders know that the Southern Motorway improvement and that the Waterview tunnel have delivered very real time and reliability benefits for them. Let me give a couple of examples—Papakura to the CBD via State Highway 1 used to take something like 39 to 86 minutes; it now takes around 35 minutes. The airport to CBD via Manukau Road used to take 40 to 49 minutes; now with Waterview it takes 32 minutes.Mr SPEAKER: Bring the answer to a conclusion.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: There are some very strong improvements happening in terms of congestion.David Seymour: Why has the Minister been so weak on introducing congestion pricing that he now finds himself to the left of Phil Goff who wants to bring it in sooner?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I do not accept that. If you look at what we have done we have had the Auckland Transport Alignment Project which has made a very clear recommendation around investigating pricing and that is exactly what we are doing.Michael Wood: Given his acknowledgment today that the congestion problem in Auckland is growing why has he not learnt the lessons of the Northern Busway built by Labour that if you give people modern efficient public transport many of them will leave their cars at home which means moving more people and freight around our city freely?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: For one thing it takes all manner of forms of transport including public transport but actually if the member had listened to what I said I said that congestion has increased but actually very recently as we have seen big projects start—new laning on the Southern Motorway and the Waterview tunnel—in fact we have seen congestion decrease quite meaningfully both in terms of the State highway network and also in terms of the arterial roads. Aucklanders know—they are emailing they are writing they are on talkback in their hundreds of thousands—that they are getting quicker travel times and much much more reliable travel times.Michael Wood: Why can the Minister not see that Aucklanders want a Government that understands their city and is more ambitious for it rather than one that says it will think about a light rail connection to the airport in 30 years' time?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: It is lucky it has got such a Government. This is a Government that invests two-thirds of all transport spending in Auckland over and above what the council is doing. It has a very ambitious programme and it continues to show more ambition.