Klimaschutz
This is a guest post by Ella Kay.
Last month, the German government announced a €54b (NZ$96 b) klimaschutz (climate protection) package to address climate change. The plan comes in response to growing pressure on the German government to step up to the climate challenge, as Germany comes closer to 2020 with only a third of CO2 emissions reduced (from a 1990 baseline).…
38 Comments 2019 Auckland Mayoral Election Policy Roundup
The local body elections feel like they’ve been dragging on all year but they finally to an end on Saturday. To me this election feels like there’s been a lot more heat than light and I guess I’m not the only one given that so far, we’re tracking for the lowest number of votes since Auckland was amalgamated in 2010 with as of last Friday just 15.1%…
Flashback Saturday: Transport’s not a left/right political issue
Every weekend we dig into the archives. This post by Matt was originally published in January 2014.
As I discussed yesterday the debate on big urban issues of housing and transport far too frequently descends into left/right debates and today I’m looking at transport.…
Fifty Percent May Be Acceptable To You
Auckland’s Climate Action Framework – Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri is a very readable piece of work resulting from extensive public engagement, and covering a lot of topics. It’s time to make your submissions – they’re due Monday.
Auckland has had a Low Carbon Strategic Action Plan since 2014.…
Mā te wā
As of today, I am resigning from all roles at Greater Auckland.
I am delighted, and humbled, to advise that my application for a directorship on the NZTA board has been accepted. I am looking forward to working with my fellow board members and all the staff at the agency and its partners, to help deliver this important work for the whole nation.…
What’s at stake in the upcoming Council election
Last week Bernard Orsman wrote a long article looking at the upcoming Auckland Council elections. The article is behind a paywall, but I have pulled out a few important parts of it. As per usual, Orsman plays up the “A team”, “B team” narrative that he’s been pushing for the past few years – giving the impression that there are two quite separate voting blocs.…
Investment Pipelines and the CRL
There has been a lot of noise recently about concerns there’s no ‘pipeline’ of future transport projects coming online within the next few years, especially after the government moved away from a few very large roading projects while still struggling to get light-rail up and running.…
What’s More Stimulating than a Road?
Stephen Joyce tried to appeal to New Zealanders’ common sense in an opinion piece over the weekend:
It makes sense in a slowing economy to bring forward infrastructure investment to boost economic activity and protect jobs. You get the economic boost from the extra spend, plus something to show for it.…
Double Decking the Harbour Bridge
Double decker buses are now a common sight on the Harbour Bridge since Auckland Transport started using them for the Northern Express in 2013. If mayoral candidate John Tamihere gets his way it won’t just be the buses that would be double decked but the bridge too.…
Regional Access
This is a post by Paul Callister and Heidi O’Callahan
Imagine a New Zealand where you can… knock off work and escape the city for a long weekend, without having to drive on dangerous roads, bleary-eyed from a week at work…
grow old in your hometown, knowing that even if you become too disabled to drive, heading to the nearest large centre for a doctor’s visit isn’t a transport hassle…
take the overnight train to Wellington for business, so you can stick to your no-flying commitments without it eating into your working week…
travel to regional tournaments safely by public transport (while teammates are still gaining experience as drivers)…
visit grandchildren in other regions travelling on high quality buses equipped with onboard toilets and fast wifi, enjoying vegan and gluten free options at refreshment stops…
have seamless door to door travel between cities and small towns using a mix of trains, buses and electric vehicles, with the help of accessible technology… This is the New Zealand we’ll enjoy if vague calls to “Take Action on the Climate” are heeded.…
Processing...