Kia ora and welcome to another weekly roundup of stories about what makes cities great, including our own. Today’s header image shows plans for a refresh of the Devonport ferry terminal – see related story below.
This Week in Greater Auckland
- On Monday, we reposted Connor’s Sunday Star-Times column about the massive opportunity cost of the Government ploughing ahead with a PPP for one more RoNS
- On Wednesday, Matt reported on the opening of the first major piece of NW Busway infrastructure, Westgate Te Waiarohia station
- On Thursday, we had a guest post from Ross Inglis, looking at the state of Auckland’s progress along the Transport Emissions Reduction Pathway – and what we can do about it.
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Greater Auckland in the news this week
Patrick spoke with RNZ about what to do with the old “cop shop”: the former central police station on the corner of Vincent St and Cook St, which has sat vacant for coming up seven years.
Patrick Reynolds, director of advocacy group Greater Auckland, saw an opportunity.
As more families moved into apartments, he said they were discovering a glaring flaw in the city centre lifestyle.
“One of the things that is absolutely a glaring deficiency in the city centre is a high school,” he said.
“Families are living in the city centre and there’s no school. It seems to be extremely difficult to get the Ministry of Education to contemplate an urban school.”
For a family living on Hobson Street, running alongside the Sky Tower, the nearest schools were Auckland Girl’s Grammar and Freeman’s Bay Primary.
Both were on the other side of Auckland’s tangled motorway, which Reynolds said was a great divide.
“There’s a lot of apartments on Hobson Street and Nelson Street. In fact, there are more people living on Hobson Street than any other street in the country,” he said.
“You see families crossing over to get to that school and it’s horrifying, really, because there’s a motorway on-ramp there. We really need some schools in the city centre proper.”
For some reason, the councillor for the densest neighbourhood in the country thinks families don’t belong in apartments.
[Mike Lee] was doubtful that enough families were living in the city centre to justify its own school.
“Families and high-rise apartment towers don’t necessarily go together,” Lee said.
“Families prefer to live on level sections with a bit of a garden for kids to go and play in. If there is, though, a genuine demonstrated need, then that may be a different matter.”
A quick check of Stats NZ data shows thousands of young people already live in the city centre. Interestingly, the under 5’s group are consistently higher than the next two cohorts: perhaps this reflects some parents moving out simply for schooling?
And on other topics, Matt spoke with BusinessDesk (paywalled) about the unevenness of the post-CRL timetables, due to KiwiRail’s freight movements.
Transport advocates say regular, reliable services are important for increasing uptake of public transport.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s 9-6, or 5-10, that part doesn’t matter. What matters is that it’s not consistent,” Greater Auckland director Matt Lowrie said.
Lowrie said he understood the 15-minute gap in peak services was for additional train services to be added later, once AT and KiwiRail became more comfortable with the network.
But to really solve the freight problem, additional infrastructure would be needed.
CRL Events
Last weekend’s Maungawhau Station “first look” event was very popular with AT saying 10,311 people turned up to check out the station. Tomorrow it’s the turn of Karanga-a-Hape. Tickets are free – sign up here.
And if you’re in the Karangahape Road area anyway, the monthly FAM markets are also on tomorrow, 10-5 at Beresford Square and nearby, including an enrol-to-vote initiative from 10-2. Looks like a fun day all round!
And speaking of CRL things: Stuff has put together a list of great watering holes for your CRL-themed pub crawl. Inexplicably it stops at Morningside, missing out on spots like Bar Martin at Baldwin Ave, and more. What would you add to the list?
Street Smarts: Learn how change really happens
Street Smarts is a new two-day workshop series from All Aboard Aotearoa and Bike Auckland, supported by Auckland Council. Each workshop consists of two sessions on consecutive Saturdays, over upcoming weekends, across Tāmaki Makaurau. See here for dates, locations and details of how to sign up.
Designed for community leaders, advocates and anyone who wants to create better places, the workshops explore why our streets and communities look the way they do, why change can be difficult, and where communities have the greatest opportunity to influence what happens next.
You’ll gain a new perspective on transport, practical tools for navigating complex challenges, and a better understanding of where you can have the greatest impact.
Unprecedented: transport policy statement delayed till after election
The government look to be running scared as the RoNS reality continues to bite, harder by the day…
This time it’s to do with the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (aka the GPS). This is typically refreshed every three years, and normally a draft GPS would be released by about this time, in order to collect feedback from local government, the transport industry and the public.
Also, for an incumbent government, the Draft GPS serves as their transport policy for the election, given it covers investment for the next three years. Except it turns out this government will not be releasing a draft.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop has announced the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS) is being delayed until after the election.
In the meantime, he has issued a statement to guide regional transport committees on the government’s intentions and investment strategy as they work on regional land transport plans.
That statement would signal that the government was focused on value for money, cost control, maintenance, resilience of the network, productivity-enhancing investments, improving safety, and maximising the use of the existing network, Bishop said.
“The GPS will likely include a focus on transit-oriented development – or TOD. This means supporting housing growth through alignment with spatial plans and concentrating development around transit nodes, key corridors, and strategic connections.”
The announcement also contains some pretty contradictory statements:
“I think we can and should build more four-lane highways. Perhaps just not at their current design, scope or specifications – or not under the current institutional or regulatory settings. We can build more. We just need to find a way to do it in a more cost-effective way.”
and
“My overall goal is to create a high-performing land transport system where maintenance and renewals are prioritised, the network is mostly funded from users and beneficiaries, investment aligns with demand, and where major projects are sequenced according to value for money.”
What this also means is that Simeon Brown’s extraordinarily ideological GPS for Transport – with its strict bans on funding multimodal improvements, and reductions to investment in walking and cycling (what journalist Russell Brown dubbed the “footpath fatwa”) continues to prevail.
Spot the solar gap
Solar uptake in Aotearoa has taken off, and is exceeding even the most optimistic estimations – as shown by this graph from Newsroom a few weeks ago.
Now RNZ is highlighting exactly where that uptake is happening:
An RNZ analysis of Electricity Authority data has found that Wānaka and Pāpāmoa Beach have the highest numbers of household solar installations in the country, generating about 50 percent more energy than anywhere else in the country.
Wānaka also had one of the highest rates of installations, with 17 percent of houses boasting some level of solar generation.
Earlier this year, New Zealand hit a milestone, with enough solar energy capacity now installed to generate a gigawatt of electricity – about half of it on people’s homes.
Across New Zealand, the installation rate on residential dwellings was just four percent – far behind Australia, where incentives have driven uptake over the last 15 years to more than a third of all households.
Spot one of the big gaps:
They’ve also looked at how uptake is impacted by home ownership and incomes – take a look at the article for more.
Changes afoot in Devonport
Auckland Transport announced this week that the Devonport Ferry Wharf and Terminal is to get a $31 million upgrade.
Auckland Transport (AT) is about to embark on a comprehensive asset and facility renewal of the Devonport Ferry Wharf and Terminal.
The renewal will focus on reconstructing Piers 1 and 2 and undertake a full refurbishment of the terminal waiting room. The project will cost $31 million and be completed over a three-year period.
North Shore Ward Councillor Richard Hills says the renewal is a crucial step in modernising public transport in the area.
“This is a fantastic and important investment in our public transport infrastructure. It brings resilience to the Devonport to City Centre route by replacing end-of-life Devonport ferry berths at Pier 1 and Pier 2.
“Additionally, the upgrades and improvements to the terminal, the entrances and the gangways will make it more modern, compliant, future-proofed for EV Ferry vessels, and optimised to enhance customer experience outcomes”, says Councillor Hills.
AT also include this on what is being done.
Pier 2 renewal
- New Pier 2 entrance and vestibule
- New 25-meter-long gangway with new fender pile system
- New mechanical hydraulically operated berthing platform, operable at all tides
Pier 1 renewal
- New transition point of entry and canopy
- New 25-meter-long gangway
- New fender pile system
- New mechanical hydraulically operated birthing platform
Terminal renewal
Work on the Terminal will include a range of essential internal ferry terminal renewal activities and will enable the integration of new ferry berths into the building structure.
The work will include:
- Terminal roof waterproofing, to replace end of life roofing membrane
- Terminal area ceiling remedial works to ensure fire and electrical systems compliance, passive air-flow system to address condensation and mildew issues, reinstatement of code compliant acoustic ceiling in support of clearer ferry timetable PA announcements.
- Wayfinding and lighting renewal
- Realignment of Pier 1 and Pier 2 boarding gates to enable a future HOP gate line.
- Relocation of level 1 tenancy stairs to facilitate new boarding gates and optimisation of queuing and waiting spaces.
- Replacement of redundant retail footprint with dedicated Fullers customer service kiosk.
Housing Density in Tāmaki Makaurau
Auckland Council’s Chief Economist has a piece looking at housing and cities. One thing that stands out to us is this chart. There’s certainly some missing density in the 2-7km categories – that gap below the dotted red line is the absence of housing options within an easy trip of the city centre. Perhaps we should address that – with a plan change, say?
Dream jobs
With the changes to Auckland Transport governance nearly completed, there are some very important roles now available that will be critical in shaping transport in Auckland for years to come:
- Head of Transport Policy
- General Manager Transport Infrastructure
- General Manager Transport Performance and Optimisation
And then there’s this..
We can have up to 15 dogs on board. The bus has been adapted – the seats have been removed, and each dog sits in its own raised pod with safety restraints, harnesses and water bowls, with views out the window. All the dogs have a trial to make sure they’re suited to the service and get along with each other. We have people in the back talking to them and reassuring them. There’s a ratio of one person to six dogs.
The dogs all love the bus, and they know the routine. As soon as we turn on to a particular road and cross over the cattle grid, they start barking. They can’t wait to get to the field. I worked with children for years, so the noise doesn’t bother me.
…..
Some have a favourite seat on the bus. One poodle has a meltdown if another dog is in her pod on the front row. She stands there, barking at them, so we tend to let her sit there.
London is a cycling city
And we can be, too. See more here.
London’s Cycleway network has reached a major new milestone, growing to 450km following the completion of new and extended routes across the capital – longer than the entire Tube network and further than the distance from London to Paris.
The achievement means London’s Cycleway network is now five times larger than it was in 2016, when there were 90km of Cycleways. Since then, Transport for London (TfL) and London’s boroughs have worked closely to create a connected network of high-quality cycling routes that make it safer and easier for people of all ages and abilities to travel by bike. Data published last year by Transport for London (TfL) revealed that London’s cycling boom shows no sign of slowing, with an estimated 43 per cent increase in cycling journeys since 2016, and a massive 1.5 million daily journeys taking place in 2025.
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Not unrelated, this is what a climate mayor sounds like.
In the UK, where cross-party consensus on the climate crisis has collapsed, his ideas have been echoed by opposition politicians and rightwing populists who veer wildly between denialism and fatalism. As some claim the climate crisis is a hoax, others insist it’s too late to act.
Both arguments are bogus. The climate crisis is getting worse, but in London we’ve shown that – with courage and creativity – we can prepare ourselves for its impacts.
Videos to watch
Gold Coast light rail has been extended to Burleigh…
https://youtu.be/g3xx6tLA0Xw?si=j7pkbt_IGQEPqX1d
Mayor Mamdani continues to light up “third spaces” for the people of New York City…
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Enjoy this catchy tune, shot in and around our public transport system…
Happy folks at the Maungawhau Station open day last weekend. Wait till they see Karanga-a-hape tomorrow!
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That’s us for the week – enjoy your weekend. And as always, feel free to share links and stories below, we know we haven’t captured every headline out there!
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How many times has that wharf in devonport had major refurbishment? Must be like every 10 years at this rate
Feels like a series of temporary sheds that needs to be rebuilt
I remember having meals at really nice Devonport wharf restaurant decades ago, and I remember the place as being nicer then as it is now. Yet the current replacement build is apparently needing to be largely replaced.
Like the CRL stations, I feel as though we should really invest more if anything and make the terminal something really slick, as the views should make it a very attractive location to invest in.
Part of my frustration stems from the Fullers indifference to having a captive user base; I remember more than a few times helping tourists from cruise ships who want to jump on a Ferry to Devonport, but got paper tickets from staff that didn’t work on the gates.
Love to see more integration here and promotion so that somebody arriving in via Cruise ship or staying in a city hotel, can easily grab a one-day HOP card to allow them to explore the city
Visitors, and residents, have been able to use contactless payment since November 2024.
There’s no need to buy a Hop card unless you want one as a souvenir.
There’s a billionaire nearby who might put up a bit of money.
The reason the government has not released the GPS is because of the RoNS directives to build 4 lane highways in a few favoured areas predominantly in the North Island has blown the Land Transport Fund budget. Not only are these RoNS projects undeliverable but because the funds GPS directs NZTA to deliver them (do the impossible) then there is no funding for maintenance or improvement anywhere else on the state highway network or any other transport project, such as improving cycle lanes, walkways and transit. Not just for a year or two. But due to transports long planning cycle for at least the coming decade or two.
This is a disaster of non delivery that is of similar scale to KiwiBuild or Auckland light rail.
The political implications are beginning to become apparent. South Island regional and local politicians have noticed the Land Transport Fund spending on the South Island is massively under what they contribute in funding from hypothecated taxes on vehicle movements and massively under their portion of NZ’s population and contribution to NZ economy.
A recent report noted.
“The south accounts for almost a quarter of the country’s population, 22 percent of GDP, a third of export goods and 40 percent of international visitor spending, but receives only 11 percent of transport spending.”
The shortfall is huge. Last year the South received $1.2bn less in transport spending than what its population or economic activity indicated it should receive.
It is not just projects like Christchurch’s request for MRT that has been ignored. South Island farmers, tourist operators and other exporters, many of whom will have been loyal National Party voters are beginning to notice the roads and bridges they rely upon have been neglected. This could become a political crisis for National, hence the need to delay the Land Transport Funds GPS until after the election.
A good account of the report can be read here.
https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/361061289/bridges-not-scratch-roads-be-returned-gravel-south-island-counts-cost-under-investment
Pls build 4 lane motorways??
NO PAY!!
ONLY BUILD
At the end of the day, it is the civil contractors and general public who keep demanding all this expensive roading infrastructure. NZTA seems happy to keep selling the dream to pave over most of NZ as long as people keep buying it.
careful, craw, you’ll attract “James” with their trollop about how idiot apes have the right to impose environmental destruction and wasteful economics on the planet so they can get their rocks off going maybe 5km/h faster before they run into a traffic jam
Shane Jones is calling out the Emperor’s New (3 year old) Clothes that Chris Bishop is expected to parade around in. Time to get a new tailor.
On track to dive into a bottomless pit, with no new ideas, is not a great achievement.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result, like trying to reduce congestion by building more roads
RE: The Chief Economist’s article. I think the graph on consents is more interesting.
It shows the big impact that falling / stalling house price inflation (and strongly associated rising interest rates) has on construction of new supply.
This is a big issue with the whole market philosophy.
That is, prices need to be rising to support significant new delivery of housing supply. So it becomes a catch 22, because rising house prices is obviously not good in terms of affordability.
I’m all for targeted intensification, but it’s only one element of the solution.
Much more community housing investment is needed, to address the limitations of the market.
It’s a pity that there don’t seem to be any economists in NZ, I am aware of, who get that.
They all seem to be enthralled by the magic power of ‘The Market’.
What needs to be charted is proximity to things. We don’t all want to get to Te Komititanga as quickly as possible, so there is a bit more to this than just the density hole.
Affordable land to build affordable houses on is the difficulty to overcome.