1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:03,280 Speaker 1: Afternoon. The government is putting roads front and center and 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:05,600 Speaker 1: it's three year land transport plan. This is a plan 3 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: all the way through to twenty twenty seven. They're spending 4 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:11,560 Speaker 1: thirty three billion dollars. That includes more money for fixing potholes, 5 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: more money on building new roads, lease money on rail 6 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:18,120 Speaker 1: and the walking and cycling budget has been slashed actually 7 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: frankly by more than half, from one billion to four 8 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:23,479 Speaker 1: hundred and sixty million. Transport Minister Simeon Brown is with 9 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:24,080 Speaker 1: us now, Hey. 10 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:25,759 Speaker 2: Samn, good afternoon, Heather. 11 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: How many roads are you going to have built or 12 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: at least under construction by the next election. 13 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 2: Well, we've got seven new roads of national significance which 14 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 2: have been put in place to be starting construction over 15 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 2: the next three years. So those include Mill Road in Auckland, 16 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 2: Walkworth to Welsford, Cambridge to pad Day take a team 17 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 2: of Stage two. You've got the road north of christ Church, 18 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 2: the wood End Bypass, and you've got a couple of 19 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 2: others as well. So there's a range of roading projects 20 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 2: that we are able to bring forward due to this 21 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 2: significant investment to be put back into roading and putting 22 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,959 Speaker 2: roading Frankly, front and center for the money that people 23 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 2: road users pay when they fill up their cars or 24 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 2: paid road user charges. That's what they want to see. 25 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 1: It going back into no funding at all for speed bumps. 26 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 1: No speed bumps in this plan. 27 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:17,039 Speaker 2: So no, we're cutting the funding for speed bumps with 28 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 2: In fact, I call it an infestation of speed bumps 29 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:22,960 Speaker 2: that we've seen across our roads whilst potholes have been 30 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 2: remaining unfilled. So actually I want to see that money 31 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 2: going into filling potholes, not making it inconvenient for motorists 32 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 2: trying to get around. 33 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:32,839 Speaker 1: In fact, is it a zero, like it's a zero 34 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: for the speed bumps? 35 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 2: That is correct, there's no further funding for speed bumps 36 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:38,680 Speaker 2: under this National Land trend. 37 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: To me, and did you tell the councils that? 38 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 2: Well, I think I've been very clear in terms of 39 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 2: all of the language, and in fact the Government Policy 40 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 2: Statement on Transport says that. So that's a public document 41 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 2: I published back in July. It says that, so that 42 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 2: won't come as a surprise. The reality is, I think 43 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 2: Keywis are sick and tired of councils up and down 44 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 2: this country simply trying to slow them down and cause 45 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 2: congestion rather than actually increase the efficiency of their local 46 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 2: roading network. So that's the focus of this National Land 47 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 2: Transport program. You know, councils are of road controlling authorities. 48 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:14,359 Speaker 2: They can still go and do other things on their roads, 49 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 2: they just won't be receiving a subsidy from the government 50 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 2: for that. 51 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 1: Your public transport budget is going up from four point 52 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: nine billion to six point four what are you spending 53 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 1: that on? 54 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 2: So that's really focused on reliability of services. So there's 55 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:29,359 Speaker 2: a significant increase in funding for the public transport services. 56 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 2: So in Auckland we've got the City of rail Link opening, 57 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 2: so there's new services that need to be funded. The 58 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 2: Eastern Busway will be completed and including the Reefs Road 59 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 2: fly over there. So that's all about the reliability of 60 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 2: those services and making sure that they're efficient for people 61 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 2: using them. So there's a number of challenges in that space. 62 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 2: That's the real key focus. 63 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: And are you sure you should be cutting the funding 64 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: for rail given the situation that we find ourselves in 65 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: Auckland's rail is in big trouble. Wellington's rail seems to 66 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 1: be in a bit of trouble as well well. 67 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:02,399 Speaker 2: There is increased funding full rail in terms of those 68 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 2: metro lines. In fact, we've allocated the in the budget 69 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 2: another one hundred and fifty nine million dollars to complete 70 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 2: the rail network rebuild in Auckland, and there's increased funding 71 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 2: also for the Wellington metros. But what we're not going 72 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 2: to be seeing is there is there's going to be 73 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 2: less money for some of those freight routes which frankly 74 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:25,239 Speaker 2: don't have as many freight trains actually using them. The 75 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 2: focus will be on the metros and on the high 76 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:31,239 Speaker 2: volume freight routes where there is a significant amount of activity, 77 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 2: rather than just spreading it thinly across the entire country. 78 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 1: Simon, thanks very much, really appreciate your time. That Simmy 79 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: and Brown Transport Minister don't know how the council is Again, 80 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: councils love a speed Bumpay, they're going to flip out 81 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: about this. Eleven past five. For more from Heather Duplessy 82 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: Allen Drive, listen live to news Talks. It'd be from 83 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.