- By Business East Tamaki general manager Ruth White
We had a full house for our recent networking breakfast with Simeon Brown, the Minister for Energy, Local Government, Transport and Auckland, held at the BNZ Partners Centre at Highbrook.
The event offered a fantastic opportunity to hear about the priorities outlined in the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS), alongside other significant topics relating to business in East Tāmaki.
Brown didn’t shy away from the economic challenges facing New Zealand.
He emphasised the need for fiscal restraint, pointing to the 80 per cent increase in Government spending over the past six years and the resulting surge in public debt.
The Government has already reduced expenditure by $24 billion in the current Budget, focusing on curbing inflation and lowering interest rates.
The Minister outlined a shift in transport strategy, prioritising economic growth, safety, maintenance, and value for money.
Brown stressed the importance of reducing travel times and improving system efficiency. While some “phantom projects” like Auckland Light Rail have been halted, others such as the Eastern Busway and City Rail Link remain in focus, aimed at easing congestion and enhancing urban mobility, he said.
Whilst it is encouraging to hear from the Minister that economic growth and productivity are priorities for the Government, business surveys in East Tāmaki have revealed more employees would like to take public transport or cycle to work but are deterred by a road network that offer almost no priority for public transport.
Business East Tāmaki is keen to work with local partners to rebalance the transport system, but this cannot happen without commensurate public investment.
We welcome the completion of the Eastern Busway in 2027, but with 96 per cent of people travelling to work by car in East Tāmaki, and 50 per cent living within 30 minutes of our business area, we urgently need improvements to our existing transport assets including more frequent buses, separated cycleways and improvements to the pedestrian environment to reach its economic potential.
