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Speaker 1: So unbelievably, trains on Auckland City rail Link will not

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Speaker 1: go as fast as we previously expected when the thing

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Speaker 1: finally opens in a couple of years time. This is

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Speaker 1: because of temporary speed restrictions again put in place by

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Speaker 1: again ke We Rail. The Transport Minister Simeon Brown, is

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Speaker 1: across the isessue morning to your Simeon.

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Speaker 2: How are you?

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Speaker 1: I'm very well, thank you? How is this happening?

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Speaker 2: Well? Ultimately, there's a lot of work that needs to

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Speaker 2: be done to get these tracks up to spec. The

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Speaker 2: government's put significant funding into the complete the rail network rebuild.

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Speaker 2: Our focus now is making sure that care Rail delivers

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Speaker 2: on what it's saying that those delays will be at

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Speaker 2: a minimum, So forty five seconds delay of approaching the

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Speaker 2: CBD from the Western line, thirty seconds approaching from the

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Speaker 2: Southern line, and one minute twenty approaching on the Eastern line.

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Speaker 2: That's a lot lower than what it currently is, which

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Speaker 2: is around five and a half minute of the network.

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Speaker 2: So do you expect well, I think the reality is

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Speaker 2: there's a lot of work that needs to be done.

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Speaker 2: This is and we need to make sure that ki

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Speaker 2: Rail's really focused on it was I expecting it. No,

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Speaker 2: But what my job is now as the Minister of

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Speaker 2: Transport is to work really closely with all the parties

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Speaker 2: involved to make sure that the resources are there, which

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Speaker 2: we've done in the budget, and then to make sure

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Speaker 2: that it's delivered effectively and efficiently so that we get

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Speaker 2: the best possible outcome when the City rail Link opens.

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Speaker 1: Sitting and how did we've been working on the City

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Speaker 1: rail Link since twenty thirteen. How did ki we Rail

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Speaker 1: not have it ready these tracks ready to go by

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty six when the thing opens.

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Speaker 2: Well, I think the issue is that the rail network

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Speaker 2: needs significant renewals. It's not just that the City Rail

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Speaker 2: Link has been a multi billion dollar project in terms

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Speaker 2: of building a new part of the rail network. This

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Speaker 2: is about making sure that the tracks on the entire

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Speaker 2: rest of the network can actually cope with the increased

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Speaker 2: number of trains, which Aucklanders are expecting. Erailing this fund.

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Speaker 1: However, they know that and they know that they've had

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Speaker 1: to do the work. So how have they missed the deadline?

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Speaker 2: Well, they they haven't missed the deadline yet. We're focused

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Speaker 2: on making sure that they do this work before twenty

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Speaker 2: twenty six. But I acknowledge Aucklands have got rail fatigue.

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Speaker 2: That's the issue here is we've we're constantly being told

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Speaker 2: more maintenance, more renewals. I get the frustration that Auckland

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Speaker 2: does have. I've inherited this problem and my job is

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Speaker 2: now to make sure that we get as much done

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Speaker 2: as possible to deliver the network benefits of the serrail

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Speaker 2: Link promises by twenty twenty six. And that's what I'm

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Speaker 2: really focused on doing and working very closely with the

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Speaker 2: mayor and all other parties to make sure that that

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Speaker 2: is what we deliver.

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Speaker 1: So, I mean, what's going on with the Wellington Mega Tunnel.

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Speaker 1: I see, you guys have spent about one point six

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Speaker 1: billion dollars in consultants. They've missed their deadline. I mean,

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Speaker 1: is it worth actually going ahead with us because it's

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Speaker 1: unlikely you're going to actually build this thing.

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Speaker 2: Well, Ultimately, what we're focused on is making sure this

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Speaker 2: project is around delivering benefits to cars and making sure

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Speaker 2: we have travel time benefits, not just making it easier

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Speaker 2: to get on a bike around Wellington, which is what

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Speaker 2: the last government was focused on. So we reshifted the

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Speaker 2: priorities to make sure that that's what the project delivers. Yes,

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Speaker 2: we've spent there's been a bit of other money spent.

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Speaker 2: It's a lot less than the tens of millions spent

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Speaker 2: by the last government on their business case to make

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Speaker 2: make cycling more attractive around Wellington.

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Speaker 1: You realize you're making the same mistake as them, right

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Speaker 1: they made they made. This is exactly the kind of

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Speaker 1: thing that they did. They'd come up with these pie

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Speaker 1: and the sky ideas that were never going to happen,

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Speaker 1: and they blow heaps of money and consultants. We just

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Speaker 1: basically fund consultants. This tunnel is never going to be built.

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Speaker 1: It's going to be way too expensive. If you can't

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Speaker 1: build an Needin's Hospital to full specs, you're not going

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Speaker 1: to build this. So why spend the money on the consultants?

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Speaker 2: Well, I guess as I said that the project that

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Speaker 2: was underway needed to have its priorities put in the

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Speaker 2: right order. There's now three options which will go to

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Speaker 2: the NZTA board. They'll make a determination and then a

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Speaker 2: decision we made and we're going to follow that through.

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Speaker 1: Have you seen mood of the boardroom?

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Speaker 2: I have?

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Speaker 1: How are you feeling in number two? Number two?

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Speaker 2: Oh? Look, I think there's I mean, there's a lot

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Speaker 2: of a lot of work on my plate, but ultimately

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Speaker 2: it's a privilege to serve New Zealanders and we're just

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Speaker 2: really focused on you know, the entire cabinet really focused

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Speaker 2: on getting getting things done for New Zealand across across

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Speaker 2: our country. That's what we've got to do.

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Speaker 1: Did you know that you were being called golden balls?

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Speaker 2: Oh? No?

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Speaker 1: When did I break it to you?

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Speaker 2: I think I think you did hither. But look at

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Speaker 2: the end of the day, Look there's a lot of

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Speaker 2: challenges across all my portfolios, and Sime and do sound.

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Speaker 1: Like it's a bad thing. You know who was originally

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Speaker 1: called golden balls? Was David Beckham?

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Speaker 2: Well, I wasn't aware of that. But all I say

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Speaker 2: is a real focus across my portfolios. That's what I'm

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Speaker 2: focusing on.

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Speaker 1: You're the David Beckham of the cabinet. That's cool.

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Speaker 2: Thank you, Heather, thank.

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Speaker 1: You Sybb and jeez, honestly, I really how can you

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Speaker 1: make this so serious of Simmy and Brown the Transport Minister.

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Speaker 1: I don't I'm not going to repeat it again. I've

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Speaker 1: said it enough times.

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Speaker 2: A For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live

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Speaker 2: to News talks. There'd be from six a m.

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Speaker 1: Weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio