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Tolls the only way to go for second Wellington tunnel, experts say
Transport experts are backing an idea to toll the government’s second Mount Victoria Tunnel.
Prior to the election, the National Party campaigned on starting construction on the Wellington tunnel by the end of its first term.
After getting into power the coalition government disestablished the $7.4 billion dollar Let’s Get Wellington Moving transport programme.
It also committed to upgrading roads around the Basin Reserve and building the second Mount Victoria Tunnel.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has said NZTA Waka Kotahi should consider tolling to construct and maintain all new Roads of National Significance (RoNS).
Given the tunnel is part of the RoNS programme Brown said should NZTA recommend it, the government will support the use of tolls to help pay for its construction.
Greater Auckland director Matt Lowrie told RNZ it was unaffordable to build large infrastructure projects under current funding structures.
“If the government are to deliver a lot more infrastructure and I would question whether that’s delivering the right infrastructure but if the government are to do that, they are going to need to look for more sources of funding to help pay for that.”
Lowrie said toll roads were a way to control congestion, particularly at peak times.
“One of the problems if we don’t put some sort of tolling in place is that they [roads] can become so overwhelmed, people use them so much that it just encourages congestion again.”
Traffic buildup in central Wellington. Photo: RNZ / Rob Dixon
University of Auckland senior lecturer Tim Welch said tolling for the tunnel made sense.
“Even though it’s a major route, if we are going to pay for that extreme infrastructure a toll is often the way to go to cover that expense.”
Welch said tolling arterial routes could be controversial because there was often no better alternatives.
“Drivers can feel bad and they [tolled roads] can seem expensive but when we develop this type of infrastructure that’s often the only way to pay for it despite the controversy.”
Transport professional Bridget Doran said in the Budget announcements the government made it clear New Zealand does not have the money for “shiny new things”.
“Anything that comes along that looks very expensive and fancy is going to have to be paid for by all of us one way or another and tolls are just one way to make that very transparent.”
Doran said she did not support the road but if it went ahead it should be tolled.
“The problem in this case is congestion in Wellington city and you’re not going to fix that with a new road unless it has a really high toll and then you’re not going to be providing access for everyone.”
VIA RNZ
The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.
On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.
Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.
In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.
“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.
“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”
VNP / Phil Smith
Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.
That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.
“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.
Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.
Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.
The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.
Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.
Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.
“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”
Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.
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