Beaumont Carol: General Debate 
Beaumont Carol: General Debate 
[Volume:654;Page:2941] 
CAROL BEAUMONT (Labour) 
: 
 The people of New Zealand need to be very very worried indeed if that is the best that the Government can do in a general debate when there are huge issues facing the people of Auckland and the people of New Zealand. My colleagues here today have raised some very important points about what is going on in Auckland and about an arrogant Government—a Government that is not listening to what Aucklanders want. They have given examples: the Waterview tunnel improved and integrated public transport and improved Auckland governance. 
I want to consider some of the transport announcements and general hedging by this Government and by the Minister of Transport who has created huge uncertainty in Auckland and who is delaying the completion of major projects. What does the Minister say about the Waterview tunnel which is strongly supported and the most widely consulted-on roading project in our history? The Minister will not commit. The Minister is overestimating costs the Minister is refusing to accept engineers’ advice and the Minister is ignoring all of the work done by the previous Government on securing sustainable funding solutions for the Waterview tunnel. Completion of that tunnel must also be complemented by a comprehensive public transport system in Auckland but this Government has now got rid of options for funding public transport; they have been sidelined in favour of funding roads. 
On 16 March this year Steven Joyce announced almost $1 billion of additional investment in State highway networks. Of that additional funding $420 million of it was reallocated from non - State highway classes. In other words money was taken from public transport and put into roads. There is now no firm funding commitments to a number of key projects in Auckland: railway stations ferry stations and integrated ticketing. There is now a significant shortfall in the money available to complete that important public transport. We have gone from an agreed plan for Auckland transport with funding secured for all aspects of that plan via a regional fuel levy to a situation that means key changes to public transport are now under threat: railway stations—including the railway stations in Onehunga where I am based—integrated ticketing; and ferry terminals. 
The Minister will provide no reassurance to those who are waiting for those changes. It is disingenuous and disrespectful to Aucklanders to say that the changes may be funded—may be funded—by the Auckland Regional Council or they may be funded by the New Zealand Transport Authority. The MP for Maungakiekie indicates that the funding is not secure and that maybe railway stations in Onehunga could be funded through a contestable fund. Well that is reassuring! That is what he said 2 weeks ago to the local community board. But Onehunga is seen as an important area of growth for Auckland City and I know that the residents of that part of Auckland will be extremely angry if the funding for this important piece of infrastructure falls over. 
The Minister will not provide clear commitments to the people of Auckland. Twenty-two days ago—22 days ago—I asked the Minister to guarantee the funding for railway stations in Onehunga. I asked whether he could confirm it whether it was secure who would provide it and would there be any delays. What is the response that he has given to me? I asked him 22 days ago but there has been no response. That is arrogant and it is unhelpful to the people of Auckland. Like the people of Mt Albert the people of Maungakiekie are having their needs and concerns ignored by an arrogant Government and a Minister who refuses to provide answers. 
The same Government is failing to provide a sustainable transport solution for Auckland—a sustainable solution with fully funded public transport that provides a logical and viable future alternative for roads in Auckland. The real tragedy of this is that the people of Auckland are committed to using public transport; they want to use public transport. In fact this Government is doing them a huge disservice by not funding and getting on with important infrastructure like the project to get the railway through to Onehunga. I urge the Minister to stand up and respond to the people. Likewise I urge him to answer the people of Mt Albert about the Waterview tunnel.