Ross Jami-Lee: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeRoss Jami-Lee: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 11 February 2016. Volume:711;Page:8921. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]4.JAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) to the Minister of Transport: What announcements has the Government made recently on the East-West Connection roading project in Auckland?Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Minister of Transport): The Onehunga-Penrose area is the engine room of New Zealand’s industrial and manufacturing economy and along with East Tāmaki and Auckland Airport employs over 130000 people and generates $10 billion in GDP a year. It is for those reasons that the Prime Minister recently announced the East-West roading connection estimated to cost somewhere between $1.25 billion and $1.85 billion as a project of national significance. This means that the project will go through a streamlined consenting process later this year to bring forward its construction so work can start as early as 2018.Hon Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga: How will the nationally significant East-West connection project benefit Auckland?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Well the projected growth rates of Auckland particularly at Auckland Airport Manukau City and East Tāmaki - Botany will generate greater demand for cross-city east-west traffic. The East-West roading connection which will link the south-western motorway and the southern motorway will tackle congestion and provide more reliable travel and freight times in and out of the Onehunga-Penrose industrial area. It will also provide much better access between the eastern suburbs and the airport. That is why the planned connection is a real priority for Auckland and the Government is committed to completing this nationally significant project as quickly as possible.Hon Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga: What other priority roading projects is the Government delivering in Auckland to support the city’s growth?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Well as the member will well know there are many. The Government is committed to Auckland’s transport system to ensure that the city remains a great place to live and do business. Over the next 3 years $4.2 billion will be invested in transport in and around Auckland. This includes completing the western ring route opening the $1.4 billion Waterview Connection ongoing construction of the $1.3 billion Auckland-Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative $268 million to upgrade parts of the southern motorway and starting construction of upgrades on the northern motorway in 2018. All of these projects I think underscore the Government’s strong backing of Auckland to succeed.Julie Anne Genter: Is he confident that spending $1.25 billion to $1.85 billion on a stand-alone highway is the most cost-effective way to address freight mobility in that part of Auckland; if so why?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Without question because unlike the member we actually think there is still a role in the future for cars and trucks.Julie Anne Genter: How can he be confident that it is the best solution when the indicative business case undertaken by his Government shows that there are other road improvement solutions that achieve the same or better time-travel savings at a fraction of the price—$500 million?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I simply do not accept that but there are many reasons why I am highly confident that this is the right and the best solution. They range from the technical data through to the wide and varied press releases and support from every conceivable business outfit that Auckland has to offer.Julie Anne Genter: So is he saying that his Government judges the cost-effectiveness of a solution based on the press releases of supportive businesses rather than the objective analysis undertaken by his Government where it shows that there is a solution that will achieve these same time-travel saving benefits for freight and cars at a fraction of the price $500 million?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: The member did not listen to my answer and all of what I said. I think what is true is that the member and her party are blinded by ideology when it comes to transport. This Government takes a balanced approach and is investing in rail roads and cycleways because we are the Government of infrastructure that is making a difference in this country.Julie Anne Genter: Does the Minister acknowledge that if his Government shows the more cost-effective roading upgrade option we would get exactly the same or better time-travel savings for freight in the area the same environmental benefits and we would have an additional billion dollars that could be spent on other transport improvements in Auckland like—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Bring the question to a conclusion.Julie Anne Genter:—like extending rail to Mount Roskill electrifying rail between Papakura and Pukekohe extending the Auckland-Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative busway into Ellerslie and Manukau and have change left over?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: There is so much there but can I just say that we take cost-effectiveness incredibly seriously as we do matters of the environment and the like. That is why this road—it may surprise the member to know—will take much better public transport in terms of the bussing and so on and will be cycleway-enabled. And I think it is going to make an incredible difference to productivity as well as environmental outcomes in Auckland and actually for New Zealand given its very significant national significance.Julie Anne Genter: I seek leave to table this analysis by the New Zealand Transport Agency and Auckland Transport—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Just assure me that it is not available on a website.Julie Anne Genter: Well it does not seem the Minister has read it.Mr SPEAKER: Order! That in itself brings this House into disorder.