Hello again Friday, it’s nice to see you. Here’s some of the things that have caught our attention this week.
This Week in Greater Auckland
- On Monday Jolisa dug into to the details on Auckland Council’s housing decisionmaking this week
- On Wednesday we showed off our visit to the new City Rail Link stations, woohoo!
- On Thursday Patrick showcased our new merch.
The Housing Debate
The housing debate on Tuesday ended with council voting to look at two options, which were effectively do the bare minimum or do better.
Two “do even better” options were backed by the bolder councillors, notably Shane Henderson (as reported by RNZ below) and Victoria Short. They deserve kudos for lifting everyone’s eyes to the prize, including a great deal more economic benefit to Aucklanders. Largely for political reasons those options were never likely to make it over the line, which is a shame.
Councillor Shane Henderson said the culture of the council continued to be to do as little as possible when it comes to allowing for more housing development.
“I don’t understand why we have these conversations all the time and we don’t see enabling housing as an opportunity, as a chance for more economic activity, for diverse beautiful neighbourhoods that more people can enjoy.”
He said doing the bare minimum was not enough.
With the debate on housing – and what goes where – rearing its head once again, Patrick took the chance to debate Sally Hughes from the Character Coalition:
But Patrick Reynolds from advocacy organisation Greater Auckland believed intensification around transport hubs was absolutely vital for the city’s growth.
“Cities should grow. I mean, once this was forest and then after that it was farmland. I mean, when is perfect? When do we have to stop?”
His challenge to Sally Hughes and her supporters – use their “admirable” energy and influence to argue for quality new builds rather than getting in the way of progress.
“My challenge to you, Sally, would be to advocate for quality future heritage,” Reynolds said.
“We do not need to keep every single bungalow and every single villa … and we should be unsentimental, frankly, we have hundreds and hundreds of thousands of villas and bungalows.”
Meanwhile Stuff had this great article about people living in apartments in the city titled: “No backyard, no car, no mortgage: The Kiwi families rewriting the quarter-acre dream”. We shared some snippets on Monday, and here’s more:
Home for their 7-year-old son has always been their two-bedroom apartment near Britomart, which has a study, bathroom, kitchen and connected living and dining area.
Rather than a private backyard, the city has become part of his playground. The apartment complex has a shared roof area and a small veggie pod. Nearby are parks, libraries and the waterfront.
….
For Bartlett’s family, less space has put more within reach – more time together, shorter commutes and a city full of public spaces on their doorstep.
The family don’t own a car. The school run is usually done by e-bike and they also use buses and trains.
University of Auckland senior lecturer Dr Tim Welch said a car-free life could become realistic for more people if higher-density neighbourhoods brought jobs, schools, shops and services closer to where people lived.
…..
For solo mother Jenifer Silva, that more compact, connected way of living suited her family.
Silva previously lived on the North Shore in a 240m² house. She and her 14-year-old son now live in a city-centre apartment of about 50m², or 70m² including the deck.
The smaller layout suited her immediately.
“In the other house, it was three storeys of just constantly yelling out trying to find this child, get him to the dinner table, get him into the bathroom,” Silva said.
She knew the move meant giving up a flat lawn and space for a trampoline, but said her son was older, and still had places to be active, including the apartment complex’s swimming pool.
“I don’t feel like I’ve given up anything. In fact, I feel like I’ve gained so much more in terms of lifestyle and health.”
Still on the topic of housing, here’s a new podcast by Michael Anderson, director of cities and towns for Sightline Institute (A thinktank covering the Northwest of North America), looking at housing policy in New Zealand. (Apple podcasts, Spotify). Episode 1 features an interview with Phil Twyford.
Hey, during my sabbatical I made a podcast! It’s a one-shot miniseries about what happened after the world’s most ambitious upzoning campaign won. Here’s the trailer; episodes coming weekly all through June & July. You can subscribe on Apple/Spotify/etc.rss.com/podcasts/yim…
— Michael Andersen (@andersem.bsky.social) 2026-06-02T14:21:55.186Z
Britomart Central
Britomart has announced that starting later this year they’ll finally be building a new building: Britomart Central, a new office building in the middle of the site, where the low-level interim shops currently are, behind the station. This is something that has long been on the cards.
We’re delighted to announce the upcoming development of Britomart Central, a new premium office building coming to the heart of Britomart.
The building is designed by @cheshirearchitects (the team behind @thehotelbritomart) and @peddlethorp_nz (who designed the refurbishment of the Hayman Kronfeld Building), two firms with deep experience in Britomart. Set between Takutai Square and Waitematā Station Plaza, Britomart Central is designed to achieve a 6 Green Star rating and WELL Platinum certification.
The building features a generous public courtyard at its heart, while its office floors offer widescreen views of the Waitematā. It’s designed with the understanding that, in this era of flexible work, offices that make people want to come to work are pivotal to the ability of businesses to attract and retain staff.
“This is one of the most important remaining development sites in the country, and we wanted to respond to that with a building of real quality and long-term value,” says Peter Cooper, the Executive Chairman of Cooper and Company, who has led the regeneration of Britomart since it began in 2004.
“The design brings a contemporary expression to Britomart while respecting the heritage character that gives the district its identity.”
The construction means that, later this year, we’ll be saying goodbye to The Pavilions, the small-scale temporary buildings in the centre of Britomart that were designed by Cheshire Architects in 2012. Some of the operators there will be relocating to temporary premises facing Takutai Square for the duration of construction (which is expected to be completed in early 2029). And the lessons the architects have learned from the success of The Pavilions – the value people place on access to light, fresh air and greenery among them – are being incorporated into Britomart Central.
There’s a lot more images here.
Wellington Derailment
A big story this week was the derailment in Wellington that has left a passenger train crumpled. While investigations are ongoing, the train operator has said Wellington having a European Train Control System – like Auckland already has – might have prevented, or at least lessened the impact of the crash. KiwiRail stopped that project just a few months ago due to a lack of funding. As the Herald reports:
A $710 million plan to bring Wellington’s “antiquated” rail signalling system in line with others internationally remains unfunded, and the Herald can now reveal KiwiRail has halted work to find a contractor for the project.
A 2021 business case recommended upgrading the region’s network to a European Train Control System [ETCS], an advanced signalling and control system that has the ability to override the driver to automatically enforce train speeds and follow signals.
…..
However, a public notice by KiwiRail in late February shows a tender for expressions of interest to undertake the work had stopped, following the decision “to formally cease the current effort”, as it was not funded.
“KiwiRail is now able to confirm that a funding decision for the Wellington ETCS project is unlikely before the 2026/2027 financial year,” the tender notice states.
…..
Appearing before the Greater Wellington Regional Council transport committee on Tuesday, Tonia Haskell, managing director of train operator Transdev, confirmed an ETCS system could have prevented the crash, following questioning by Upper Hutt Mayor Peri Zee.
“Is it that the European Train Control System would have prevented this if that was in place? Is that right?” Zee asked.
“Yes,” Haskell said.
“Currently all the controls in a situation like this other than the concrete block are manual, so signals are managed manually, our driver drives the train manually, train control controls the exit of the train from the station manually.
“Yes, a European Train Control System would have definitely helped in this situation in my opinion,” Haskell said.
Walking and cycling connection to Te Ahu a Turanga
A dedicated walking and cycling bridge, so that people can safely access the path alongside Te Ahu a Turanga – the replacement for the Manawatu Gorge – is finally going ahead.
A shared pathway providing walkers and cyclists an alternative to the narrow Ashhurst Bridge should be completed by the end of 2027 – six month ahead of earlier forecasts.
The route, providing safer access across the Manawatū River for walkers and cyclists using Te Ahu a Turanga, was initially expected to be part of the $824 million highway project and was a condition of its resource consent.
But the project was delayed when the bridge was found to be unsuitable for the “clip on” structure that had been budgeted.
Since the highway opened in June last year, cyclists and walkers have been forced to share the existing narrow bridge, beside cars, trucks and buses that zoom past at 100kph.
The pathway should be completed by the end of 2027, with construction to begin later this year, said NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi’s regional relationships director for central North Island Linda Stewart at a recent Horizons Regional Council meeting.
A good result, but this is a classic example of the priorities in our transport system, where the road is completed years ahead of safe access for anyone not in a vehicle.
The existing Ashurst Bridge which walkers and cyclists have to share with 100km/h traffic
Getting kids to school by active modes
From the UK, this is an admirable goal, and surely one Aotearoa could aspire to, if we want to be one of the best places in the world to bring up kids, or indeed, be a kid?
Ministers are to launch a major push to get more children walking and cycling to school as part of a wider boost for “active travel” by the transport secretary Heidi Alexander.
In the first significant change to active travel policy since the Boris Johnson era, thousands of new safe routes and crossings will be built around schools in England, with a target of having at least 60% of all children walk, cycle or wheel to school by 2035.
The new cycling and walking investment strategy, being formally unveiled on Friday, also includes a target for at least 55% of shorter urban trips to include some active travel, also by 2035. The inclusion of specific targets follows criticism from campaigners after an initial draft of the plan failed to include any.
With a promised total active travel spend of £4.5bn over five years, the schools plan is intended to create 5,000 new routes and 10,000 crossings by 2030.
Fuel Crisis impact
A great visualization of the change in how people are travelling in Dunedin between February and May
A visualisation of what is a simple table
— David Hood (@thoughtfulnz.bsky.social) 2026-06-07T06:20:22.537Z
Congestion Charging still some way off
Radio NZ has a detailed look at plans for congestion charging. It includes this, on timing:
It’s still a few years off, Hamish Bunn, strategic transport lead at Auckland Council, told RNZ.
“We are currently working towards a final council decision on a potential scheme in early 2028, followed by ministerial approval shortly after. The scheme may take several more years after this to enter into operation.”
When the legislation allowing the framework for congestion charging kicks in this November, Auckland council will propose an area for the scheme, which would trigger the formation of a ‘Scheme Board’ between NZ Transport Agency and the council, with an independent chairperson, Bunn said.
The Minister of Transport then has to sign off on the scheme.
The Ministry of Transport is currently having a consultation period on regulations around congestion charges – allowing different charges for different vehicle types, and what the enforcement and penalties will be for those who don’t pay the fee. The consultation runs until 26 June.
New frequent buses
Auckland’s bus network is to get better with a bunch of improvements to West Auckland routes from this Sunday.
#BusNews: Auckland Transport have installed signage at some stops advising of the upcoming West Auckland bus improvements starting on June 14. Changes include:154 > Frequent 15172 > Frequent 17 152 route changes 152, 161, 162, 171 and 195 get improved frequencies
— NZ Transit Buzz (@nztransitbuzz.bsky.social) 2026-06-07T20:59:12.490Z
From the Socials
Oh, and yes, we will be covering Labour’s public transport fare-cap policy in detail next week.
Have a great weekend!
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Once again I wonder why they insist on putting cycle ways next to major highways . In the Ashurst case , it would be alot more pleasant (and useful) to put it next to the railway bridge. It could possibly have been a clip on to that bridge.
Or better still – repurpose the old gorge road for walking & cycling…
NZTA site ends with a tease: “Most of the old route is still closed to the public. We’re working on what happens next…”
Agreed. The old SH3 through Manawatū Gorge is a very scenic route. The Manawatū Gorge is a water gap – an unusual and attractive geological feature.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_gap
The Manawatū Gorge route is never again going to be suitable for motor traffic, but would be ideal for walking, cycling and also riding horses – there’s enough space for everyone and it’d be a great asset for the area. Some Otago-style funding is needed…and local advocacy.
I wonder if it will ever happen?
Manawatu Gorge would be a great walking and cycling route, but is unlikely to happen, as apparently the giant slip that closed the route is still moving – ie the hillside keeps bulging and is unstable. Any attempt to cut a thin flat path across this slip would make it even more unstable, so (apparently) most users of the Gorge (technically illegal for their own safety) carry their bikes as they pick their way across the scree slope. Or so I’ve heard…
It’s an interesting one because on one hand you get an off road network that is reasonably direct for the trips people already conceptualise and on the other hand you get noise and emissions right next door.
I’d be a lot more for them if I knew for sure they were a quick and (literally) dirty expansion for minimal cost but I don’t know if that’s true. They are network expansion which is in some sense the key thing, though.
The other advantage is that they also serve as a barrier to road widening. Obviously a lot of them get built with road widening projects but in twenty years when there’s clamouring for a fourth lane between Papakura and Takanini, for example, the Southern Path is an obstacle future debate will have to justify getting rid of. While I like the idea of building alongside train track, pitting trains versus active modes in this fashion I’m much less down for.
I don’t know the area of the specific case you’re talking about so whether this is a relevant concern or not in this specific instance I don’t know.
One has to wonder about the $700 million cost for a train control system. I would think you could probably add a transponder to the exisiting signals, and a responder in the trains to enforce a stop at signals for a lot less ,all that is really needed.
Yeah I agree, seems crazy with modern technology, it doesn’t seem like rocket science. Even a camera with AI looking for red lights and making an audible alarm to the driver would be much better than nothing, I can knock that up for them for a couple of million.
Stopping the ongoing red light running would hopefully be a lot cheaper than $700M. Firing anyone who runs a red light should do? (With the cost of training replacements) That’d certainly be the outcome for similar risky behaviour in industries I’m involved with. How has the culture developed where running reds is not unusual? Aren’t train drivers well paid? The consequences are surely obvious and apparent?
In aviation arguably the standard for transportation safety, firing pilots after a safety incident is not done. There is an assumption of good will and need to learn both for people and for systems.
That’s quite correct.
For those of us in commercial aviation, as long as it was an honest mistake and not malicious it is used as a learning experience for all. A mistake made in Africa etc will benefit engineers and pilots world wide hopefully preventing it’s reoccurrence.
As to ETCS costs, I’ve been reliably informed it can cost up to £10 million per locomotive to fit, never mind the cost to modernise signals, communication systems, insulate from high voltage etc.
Don’t question that cost – it’s real. Question the feeble decision not to spend it. What is the cost of that crash? Include social and medical costs for injuries, additional transport and delay costs while the rail line is out of action, the cost of the investigation as well as repair costs. And then add the cost of the next crash.
Has it cost $700 million so far for the Wellington conversion? Or is that budgeted
$1m for the system, $600m for the website introducing it.
Tech bros gotta feed their families too?
Making sure that trains stop at red signals is a complicated process. Trains take a long time to stop, so that braking needs to start a long way away – so long, that the signal may well have changed from red long before the train gets there, so the system has to cope with the distance to the stopping point changing, perhaps mutiple times. A single transponder on a single train/signal, or camera looking for red lights (which may be out of sight, round bends, or apply to other tracks/trains), provides nowhere near enough information to be able to run a railway without slowing it down so much that it becomes useless – there has to be lots of real-time feedback. And the system has to be fail safe – if it’s not working, trains don’t run at all.
It may not rocket science, but it’s certainly not simple.
ETCS is very complicated. Why don’t you go look up the detail then come back and tell us again if your solution works
Wellys should also upgrade their metro electrical infrastructure to 25kV
Alternatively get dual mode electric locos, which may need tunnel widening
“once this was forest and then after that it was farmland. I mean, when is perfect? When do we have to stop?”
The honest answer for the NIMBY/Character crew is a combination of:
a) it was perfect when I was in my 20s and the world was young and fresh and free.
b) it’s perfect because I’m sitting on $2 million of asset wealth that keeps appreciating.
Where I live in Mt Roskill would have been farmland in the 1950’s. It would have been the ultimate lifestyle block, catch a tram into Auckland City, best of both worlds. Should it have been preserved at the expense of 30,000 households living in a cardboard box? Probably not.
That YouTube short on Greece metro. Yes now that’s amazing history preserved so yes Americans and these other cities have no excuse for not building their metros.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but at the start of May we had an official state that we would have an update on the opening date of CRL in the next few weeks. That seems to have come and gone, with the middle of June approaching, an opportunity for an August opening also seems to be passing us by. Do we have any indication of an upcoming announcement?
A roadside Billboard on Greenlane West today is saying “Soon”.
To quote Phillip J. Fry, “That’s not soon enough!”
More yuppie blandness coming in Britomart!
Personally I like the current single level area. But I am sure it doesn’t provide good return on investment!
Not such a bad design and economic value. But – Waitematā Station finished! All the hoardings down ready for CRL services!
Next set of hoardings about to go up!! More construction traffic!!
Oh, well.
The atrium in the EY building is pretty uninspiring, I hope they do better than that.
To capture the value from the CRL, we’ll build upwards around railway stations. These low-rise shops where never going to last
The single-storey shops, weekend market, cafe, etc have all helped to make the Britomart precinct interesting and attractive. In the short tem, they’ve probably been less profitable than surface car parking (Auckland’s favourite meanwhile use) but they will have added long-term value to the area.
It’d be great if the temporary buildings could be relocated to one of the other empty car park sites in Auckland city centre. The Wilson car park at 27 Fort Street is truly awful and another car park will be soon appearing in Albert St on the site of Food City.
Neither of these should be car parks. With reconstructed Britomart buildings, better lighting and a proper connection to O’Connell Street, the Fort St car park would be a much better piece of urban fabric.
I like the new building and as you say, its an area in the CBD around a major rail station. We should be going dense and up.
Agree on relocation – this should be a council strategy. Move to another eyesore sight/location while the owner landbanks. Move on once development happens there. And so on.
Or maybe they replace the Cloud on Queens Wharf? In fact, restore Shed 11 as well while we are at it.
hot take: i feel like there the whole area between the back entrance of Britomart station and Takutai square could do nicely as one big public plaza.
Weekly update from the future
The Ashhurst bridge has a parallel in Wellington, too. At its southern end, the stunningly successful Te Ara Tupua pathway along the harbour ends at a major signalised traffic intersection, where there is no provision whatsoever for pedestrians or cyclists to cross any of the multi-lane 80km/h legs. It’s ok (just – very narrow) if you’re going to/from Wellington city centre, but for any other direction – parking across the road, catching a bus from the city, or to the northern suburbs or the Hutt Valley – you have to put your life in your hands.
Not a problem if you catch the train (unless it’s replaced by a bus) – and you have the added pleasure of walking/riding right past a stock effluent disposal point adjacent to the access point. Lovely!
I thought Patrick’s comments on not needing to keep every single bungalow and every single villa were great. A phrase any person with half a brain would find it hard to disagree with.
But let’s just keep reviewing the bloody plans for another year. Jesus Christ.
An alternative view might be that we should keep a representative sample of villas – maybe 10, maybe 100. Pick a number, select those that best signify the “villa aesthetic” as a historical precedent, and then purchase and demolish the rest. No need to keep them all. Build new, denser housing and sell at a profit. Job done.