Kerre Woodham: We just have to bite the bullet
It was 10 years and about a month ago that John Key, then Prime Minister of New Zealand, got up on his hind legs at the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and laid out the National Party's plan for a new harbour crossing.
There was going to be a freight corridor in Onehunga mooted, as was an inner-city rail link, a cost of $2.86 billion. Two options were floated: tunnels near the existing harbour bridge or another bridge. A road bridge would cost $3.9 billion to build.
In this day and age, $3.9 billion is like pocket change, the sort of money that Grant Robertson seems to regularly find or lose down the back of the couch. Tunnels would cost up to $5.3 billion.
That was the plan, they were going to get onto it. It was going to start in 2026. And fast forward 10 years to today, nothing happened. And $5.3 billion? If only!
The Government yesterday announced a multibillion dollar harbour tunnel plan incorporating light rail, and the cost was estimated to be around $45 billion.
$5.3 to $45 billion. And really, if anyone expects it to come in on budget tell them they're dreaming!
Transport Minister David Parker told the Mike Hosking Breakfast that when it comes to paying for it, because that's the big question, he says they're leaving their options open. He said, it would be easier to fund from within rather than going cap in hand to China to take part in the Belt and Road scheme that many impoverished nations take advantage of.
I tend to agree.
There's other ways of finding the money and all options will be explored. But do you agree? That we just have to bite the bullet. That you just have to be able to provide an alternative to an aging piece of infrastructure that is long past its use by date and is not really able to deliver for all transport options.
We just have to do it, don't we?
If we can go from $5 billion to $45 billion in 10 years, if we hold off another 10 years, how much more is it going to cost?
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