What Should We Do?
Or rather:
What We Should Do…
…about the maybe imminent – but always possible – imported liquid fuels crisis.
And by “we”, I mean the New Zealand Government, whose job this is.
First, and above all: we should think and act strategically, not just reactively.…
144 Comments For whom the harbour bridge tolls…
Many people want a new harbour crossing, but do they want to pay $9 for it every time they cross the harbour?
Yesterday Te Waihanga, the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission released its National Infrastructure Plan (NIP). A lot of their case feels very familiar to many of the arguments we’ve made over many years, especially about transport investment.…
The promise of PC120: saying yes to more homes
This piece originally ran as an op-ed in the NZ Herald on Friday. To find out more about the Coalition for More Homes and get involved in YIMBY action, check out the website. Last year, 200 people packed out a town hall in Mt Eden to protest apartment buildings being constructed near train stations – and therefore their house.…
Minister admits RoNS reality is biting – and hard
“Whatever the problem, build another road” has been a hallmark of policy from the current government. And we’ve long suggested that is simply not affordable or practical – including just a month ago, when the latest costs were released for a bunch of the government’s flagship Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme.…
Time to get off the gas
With energy policy and the cost of power in the headlines this week, here’s a timely guest post by regular reader, and freelance Business Analyst specialising in pricing and operations management, Stephen Reynolds. (Header image: Wikimedia, CC-BY-SA4.0) Many New Zealanders view exhausting our fossil fuel reserves as inevitable and enabling us to move on from the emissions they generate.…
Yes we can retrofit Perimeter Blocks!
This is a guest post by Alex Bonham, Yasmin Tapiheroe, and Nic Williams of Women in Urbanism Aotearoa. They make the case that permitting perimeter blocks in mixed urban housing zones will better provide green space, trees and safe access to play.…
Great benefits, what about the costs?
Big infrastructure projects are great if you only count the benefits and none of the costs. That seems to be the position of infrastructure lobby group Infrastructure NZ, based on a report they released last week about the big motorway projects built in Wellington over the last decade.…
Fuel Taxes to go
The government look set to make things easier for big gas guzzling vehicles with the announcement yesterday that they’re progressing with plans to replace fuel taxes with road user charges. Cabinet has agreed to a series of important legislative changes to enable the transition of New Zealand’s 3.5 million light vehicles to paying for our roading network through electronic road user charges, rather than petrol tax, says Transport Minister Chris Bishop.…
The Government’s Northern Expressway Obsession
On Saturday there were some interesting discussions on TVNZ’s Q+A programme with Jake Tame about infrastructure with Minister Chris Bishop and Infrastructure Commission Te Waihanga chief executive Geoff Cooper.
In his discussion with Chris Bishop, Tame covers a range of topics from his various portfolios, many of which probably of interest, such as the impact of the government’s policies on the construction industry, on city deals and the government pushing councils towards asset sales, housing and in particular his response to the op-ed from Christine Fletcher late last week.…
Congestion Charging: Location Options
New York is the most recent city to implement congestion pricing and it’s already (and predictably) been a success. Will Auckland be the next city to introduce it?
Legislation to introduce “time of use charging” (congestion pricing) is currently making its way through Parliament, with the government intending to pass it before the end of the year.…
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