O'Connor Simon: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeO'Connor Simon: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 29 May 2014. Volume:699;Page:18478. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]4.SIMON O’CONNOR (National—Tāmaki) to theMinister of Transport: What announcements did the Government make in Budget 2014 regarding investment in Auckland transport infrastructure?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister of Transport): Budget 2014 has seen the Government provide the New Zealand Transport Agency with $375 million in financial assistance to accelerate $815 million worth of key Auckland transport projects. The package will ensure the completion of nine key motorway projects within three corridors up to a decade earlier than planned without impacting on the timing of other transport projects around the country. The package has been funded by a combination of National Land Transport Fund allocations and an interest-free loan from the Crown.Simon O’Connor: What specific projects are being accelerated?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: I was pleased to talk about this at the select committee meeting this morning where members were most interested to know that it is the northern corridor projects that will widen the Northern Motorway between Constellation Drive andGreville Road and provide a full motorway connection between the Upper Harbour Highway and the Northern Motorway. The southern corridor projects will widen the southern motorway between Manukau and Papakura. Those projects will relieve congestion and provide travel time savings along the route and increase the capacity to provide for the anticipated population growth in southern Auckland. These works will also improve links between Auckland and the Waikato and Bay of Plenty. State Highway 20A is a project that will upgrade the route to motorway standard and improve journey times along this route which is the primary gateway to Auckland from the airport and for surrounding businesses.Simon O’Connor: Are any further projects being progressed through the Auckland transport package?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: The Government has signalled previously that resolving Auckland’s transport problems in southern and eastern Auckland is its next major focus for the Auckland transport network. The Government has provided the New Zealand Transport Agency with $10 million worth of financial assistance to ensure it will continue the development of the East-West Link in 2014-15 and $5 million to enable the progression of the Panmure to Pakuranga phase of the Auckland Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative in 2014-15.Phil Twyford: Why did the Government make a condition for starting work on the City Rail Link before 2020 targets that PricewaterhouseCoopers says were always unachievable and along with the lack of any significant new commitment to public transport in the Budget does this not just show that the Government’s so-called commitment to the City Rail Link is a sham pushed off into the never-never for a future Government to deal with?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: Not according to the current polls.Phil Twyford: I seek leave to table the PricewaterhouseCoopers report entitledReview of Government Patronage Targets for Accelerating the City Rail Link.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that PricewaterhouseCoopers document. Is there any objection? There is none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.