8. Question No. 8—TransportHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of TransportQuestion No. 8—Transport8. Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of Transport: Is he committed to building light rail from the city to the airport in Auckland and if so when will work begin?Hon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Transport): Yes. Light rail will be a game-changer for Auckland. It will be a magnet for private investment in urban renewal and each line will be able to carry 11000 commuters per hour the equivalent of four lanes of motorway. The light rail project will extend Auckland's rapid transit network a core part of our plan to build a modern transport system for the city. There is a procurement process under way now so work has already started.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Is the Government on track to have built light rail from Wynyard Quarter to Mount Roskill within four years of becoming Government as promised by Jacinda Ardern in August 2017?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: At that point Jacinda Ardern was not the Prime Minister.Hon Paul Goldsmith: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That's not answering—SPEAKER: Well it answered as much as the Minister has any responsibility for it.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Well the core part of the question was—SPEAKER: Well the member can ask it again. Ask another question if he wants to.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Is the Government on track to have built light rail from Wynyard Quarter to Mount Roskill within four years of becoming Government?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: I've expressed the view that we hope to have shovels in the ground in 2020. There's a procurement process under way; that's what we're working towards.Hon Paul Goldsmith: So is that another target he no longer intends to keep?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: I reject the premise of the question.SPEAKER: The Hon Jami-Lee Ross.Jami-Lee Ross: Not honourable Mr Speaker but thank you. Is he as part of the Government's wider Auckland transport strategy committed to also building an airport to Botany transport link as either light rail or a dedicated busway?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: The south-east of Auckland is one of the most underserved areas of the region when it comes to public transport. I was happy the other day—with Mayor Phil Goff—to announce the new Pakuranga to Howick busway as part of the Auckland-Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative project. Work is under way now looking at the possibility of extending a rapid transit service that would connect the Auckland Airport with Manukau Puhinui and up through Flat Bush to Botany. My hope is that that will be something we'll be able to get up and running and make progress on in the coming years.Jami-Lee Ross: Is he willing to work with me as a local MP to progress future plans for an airport to Botany transport link?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Yes I would welcome the member's cooperation in that.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Does the Minister agree with infrastructure Minister Shane Jones' message to Phil Goff about the light rail project: I would say before Phil Goff gets too enthusiastic about the Dominion Road idea he needs to sort out how he's going to fund the CRL project. It hasn't been completed yet and now he's got to find $500 million to $1 billion for that."?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well I would point out that the light rail project is being pursued through the Auckland Transport Alignment Project and is expected to be funded and financed as part of that 30-year transport plan and funded partly through the National Land Transport Programme. The member will know that the City Rail Link project that was entered into under the former National Government is funded through Crown contributions—completely separate from the National Land Transport Programme."