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Freight and Regional Transport
NZ’s state highways are the arteries linking the regions and the cities. Some say the number of trucks is making it unsafe for other travellers. One alternative backed by some parties is an upgrade of regional rail services.
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;" class="bgcolor">Labour
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Save thisBuild a replacement for the Manawatū Gorge Road(...)Why
Labour believes that a permanent replacement for the Manawatū Gorge road is needed. The road is closed too often and is expensive to maintain, and current alternative routes aren’t built for heavy freight traffic.
Building a replacement for the road should preserve the vital link from the lower North Island to the East Coast, and provide a reliable route for travellers and freight.
HowLabour would fund a permanent replacement for the Manawatū Gorge Road. This would most likely be through the Te Āpiti wind farm north of the gorge, but the final decision would be made by the New Zealand Transport Agency.
This investment would be funded from unallocated capital set aside in the Budget.
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Save thisIncrease funding for regional roading(...)Why
Labour believes that regional transport, and roads in particular, are struggling to keep up with growth in heavy traffic and tourist numbers. Funding outside the three main centres has not kept up with regional needs and some roads are poorly maintained.
Increasing funding for regional transport should improve the quality of regional roading and make transport safer.
HowLabour would increase funding for regional transport.
The funding range available for regional transport would be doubled from $70 - $140 million to $140 to $280 million.
This funding would be available for transport projects outside major metropolitan areas which would create a regional economy benefit, such as upgrades of regional state highways or significant regional roads.
Labour would focus in particular on improvements directed at safety. -
Save thisEstablish a passenger rail service between Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga(...)Why
Labour believes that most of New Zealand’s population growth in the next 25 years will occur in and around Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga. To make the most of growth, these areas need to be connected by a fast and reliable transport system.
Establishing a passenger rail service linking Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga should take pressure off the roads, support economic growth, and provide a platform for eventually developing regional rapid rail.
HowLabour would establish a passenger rail service linking Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga. This service would provide journeys of three and a half hours from Tauranga to Auckland once per day, and just over two hours from Hamilton four times per day.
After trialling the service, Labour would consider making improvements to trains and tracks to support a faster service delivered by tilt-trains. and extending the network to Rotorua and regional towns, and building a tunnel through the Bombay Hills.
When complete, trains from Tauranga would connect to Auckland’s Britomart station, and the journey would take two and a quarter hours with trains running up to 160km/h.
Labour estimates the first stage of the project would cost $20 million.
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Save thisDevelop a national ports strategy(...)Why
Labour believes the New Zealand port system suffers from a lack of coordination. This results in ports being played off against each other by international shipping lines and over-capitalisation.
Coastal shipping is also underdeveloped, which is causing higher than necessary economic and environmental costs as freight that could travel by sea is carried on the roads.
Developing a strategy for ports should improve shipping coordination and reduce freight and environmental costs.
HowLabour would develop a national ports strategy.
Labour would also encourage collaboration between ports, especially in the northern North Island.
Labour would also refresh and implement the coastal shipping strategy developed under the previous Labour government. Projects that improve coastal shipping could apply for dunging from the National Transport Fund.
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Save thisConsider reopening and upgrading regional rail(...)Why
Labour believes that transport is at the heart of the modern economy and is vital to regional economic development. Rail freight is more energy-efficient and cheaper than road freight but decades of asset stripping left the rail network degraded.
Considering reopening and upgrading regional rail should identify opportunities to take greater advantage of rail.
HowLabour would investigate the possibility of reopening closed rail lines such as the Napier to Gisborne line. Labour would also investigate a spur line to Marsden Point and the upgrading of the North Auckland Main Trunk Line.
Lines would only be reopened if there is evidence the lines would be sustainable.
Labour would also reform the structure and governance of KiwiRail to account better for national transport priorities.
;" class="bgcolor">NZ First
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Save thisMove all shipping operations from the Port of Auckland to Northport in Whangarei(...)Why
New Zealand First believes it’s time for visionary thinking for the regions. Current plans for a port at Thames are too expensive and environmentally destructive.
Moving shipping operations from Auckland to Northport should give Aucklanders use of 77 hectares of waterfront land, and drive an economic renaissance in Northland.
HowNew Zealand First would move all shipping operations from the Port of Auckland to Northport in Whangarei by the end of 2027. The transition would begin with vehicle deliveries being transferred by 2019.
Northport would be developed to become a mega-port. The current development of a port in Thames would be stopped. The Auckland to Northland rail line would be upgraded and a new spur to Northport added.
New Zealand First would also commission a design for a new cruise terminal and cooperate with the Auckland Council to develop a masterplan for former port land on the waterfront.
As part of this change, Northport would also be designated New Zealand’s first Special Economic Area. The Area would be duty-free, GST-free and tax-free, opening the door to value-add manufacturing, logistics and re-exporting.
More generally, New Zealand First would create a comprehensive ports and coast shipping strategy.
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Save thisIncrease funding for regional airports(...)Why
New Zealand First believes that regional airports have been underfunded. Small airports can’t be expected to meet the significant costs of operations from revenue alone, but regions need airports for communications, business development, air ambulances, and tourism.
HowNew Zealand First would increase funding for regional airports owned by local authorities. The funding would contribute to infrastructure improvements and meeting safety and amenity standards.
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Save thisImprove regional roading(...)Why
New Zealand First believes the costs of the massive growth of tourism has fallen mainly on regional New Zealand. There’s too much focus on Auckland when it comes to infrastructure and the regions are being overlooked.
Increasing funding to seal regional roads, improve road quality, and build double-lane bridges should provide regional businesses, travellers and tourists with better transport infrastructure.
HowNZ First would increase funding for regional roading improvements. In particular, this funding would go to sealing local roads, improving overall road quality and building double lane bridges where sensible.
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Save thisIncrease funding for regional rail(...)Why
New Zealand First believes rail has a valuable role to play in the development of regional New Zealand. But the National Government has run the railway network down to a neglected state.
New railway development is needed to improve the quality of freight and passenger services but this cannot be funded through user charges alone.
HowNew Zealand First would increase funding for regional rail through a programme of railways of national importance. This would involve creating passenger train services along all rail routes between the main centres, with connecting coach services linking outlying areas and between centres which don't have a railway line.
New Zealand First would also consider reopening the Napier to Gisborne rail line.
This funding would come from the Land Transport Fund, Crown grants and from user charges.
New Zealand First would not replace electric trains with diesel trains, as is currently planned.
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Save thisMake rental car companies liable for accidents caused by tourists(...)Why
New Zealand First believes that too many road accidents are caused by tourist drivers. Imposing liability on rental car companies for at-fault tourist crashes should reduce these accidents.
HowNew Zealand First would make vehicle rental companies responsible for informing tourists of best driving practice according to the New Zealand Road Code. Failure to inform a tourist would leave the company liable for accidents involving that tourist.
Overseas drivers would only be allowed to rent vehicles with certain standards of safety technology such as emergency braking.
;" class="bgcolor">Green
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Save thisAim to have half of freight moved by rail and coastal shipping by 2027(...)Why
The Green Party believes that insufficient investment in rail and coastal shipping has forced more and more trucks onto the roads, making them more dangerous for all road users and driving up pollution.
Setting a target of half of freight being moved by rail and coastal shipping in ten years is a step toward making roads safer, the air cleaner, and reducing carbon emissions.
HowThe Green Party would aim to have half of freight moved by rail and coastal shipping by 2027.
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Save thisFund road, shipping and rail infrastructure from the same pool(...)Why
The Green Party believes that insufficient investment in rail and coastal shipping has meant that more freight is carried by truck. This is making roads more dangerous for all road users and increasing carbon emissions.
Allowing the National Land Transport Fund to be used for rail and shipping should mean those services receive funding in the same way that roading does. This should increase rail and shipping freight, making roads safer and the air cleaner, and reducing carbon emissions without increasing spending.
HowThe Green Party would fund rail infrastructure and coastal shipping from the National Land Transport Fund. The Green Party would not require rail to make a profit.
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Save thisEstablish passenger rail service between Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga(...)Why
The Green Party believes that insufficient investment in rail and coastal shipping has forced more and more trucks onto the roads, making them more dangerous for all road users and driving up pollution. Diesel trains are particularly polluting and expensive to run.
Regional rail has the potential to become a valuable alternative to cars, especially as the population grows. At the moment, the Government has allowed regional rail services to deteriorate. The Green Party believes that investing in regional rail is a proactive way to manage future population growth and growing congestion in cities.
Trialling an electrified rail service between Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga should improve New Zealand’s regional rail services, reduce carbon emissions, and bring down freight costs.
HowThe Green Party would trial a passenger rail service for the ‘golden triangle’ between Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga. Starting in 2019, this would run five times daily between Auckland and Hamilton, and do a once daily return trip to Tauranga.
The Green Party expects it to take about 2 hours and 15 minutes to travel between Hamilton and Auckland, and 3 hours and 30 minutes from Tauranga to Auckland. If successful, the trial could be expanded to include a faster service from 2025.
The Green Party estimates this trial would cost $20 million over five years. This funding would come from money that would otherwise be allocated to the National Government’s planned motorway expansions. Implementing a faster service from 2025 would cost about $400 million.
The Green Party would also electrify this line. Electrifying the lines would cost $860 million and new electric locomotives would cost $480 million.
When the project is completed, the Green Party would complete the electrification of rail between Auckland and Wellington, which would involve filling the gap in the electric network between Waikanae and Palmerston North.
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Save thisEstablish a twice-daily passenger service between Palmerston North and Napier(...)Why
The Green Party believes that the indefinite closure of the Manawatū Gorge is an opportunity to revitalise passenger trains in this part of New Zealand. This closure is putting stress on Saddle Road and Ashurst.
A passenger services between Palmerston North and Napier should take stress off these areas. It should also help people travel safely and efficiently, and reduce carbon emissions.
HowThe Green Party would establish a new twice-daily passenger train service between Palmerston North and Napier, which would be called the Ruahine Runner.
The service would depart from both Palmerston North and Napier twice daily, with services running in both directions in the morning and evening. It would stop at Woodville, Dannevirke, Waipukurau, and Hastings, and take 2.5 hours. This is about the same as by car and quicker than the current bus service.
If successful, the Green Party would extend the service to Wellington, providing a second daily service between the capital and Palmerston North.
The Green Party estimates the new service would cost $3.7 million in the first year. The estimate includes $2 million to purchase the trains, $500,000 to refurbish them, and $30,000 to refurbish Woodville station. The Green Party estimates the service would require an ongoing passenger subsidy of $1.2 million a year.
The Green Party would also repair the Napier-Gisborne rail line.
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Save thisReduce fares on the Capital Connection(...)Why
The Green Party believes the Capital Connection rail service between Palmerston North and Wellington is a vital part of transport infrastructure in the lower North Island. But fares have risen by up to 17 percent since 2012, and passenger numbers have dropped to around 250 people a day.
Reducing fares on the Capital Connection should ensure the service continues for years to come.
HowThe Green Party would reduce fares on the Capital Connection and provide the service with consistent funding from the National Land Transport Fund.
;" class="bgcolor">TOP
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Save thisFund road, shipping and rail infrastructure from the same pool(...)Why
The Opportunities Party believes that New Zealand needs to achieve a zero carbon economy by 2050 to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees. This requires significant reductions in carbon emissions, including from transport.
But at the moment, the New Zealand Transport Agency's budget does not cover rail infrastructure. This means that roading is prioritised over rail and shipping, which are more environmentally friendly. Building more roads only leads to more cars.
Bringing rail infrastructure inside the NZTA’s budget should provide a level playing field for the funding of road, rail and shipping infrastructure. This should ensure that businesses choose the cheapest, safest and cleanest methods of transporting their goods around the country.
HowThe Opportunities Party would bring rail infrastructure funding inside the New Zealand Transport Agency’s budget so that rail and roading are assessed alongside one another.
The Opportunities Party would also require KiwiRail to make a profit.
As a part of its climate policy, the Opportunities Party would also require decision-makers to consider the goal of being carbon neutral when making infrastructure decisions and approving major resource consents. These decisions would have to assume a carbon price of at least $60 per tonne of carbon dioxide.
;" class="bgcolor">Māori Party
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Save thisEstablish IwiRail to redevelop regional railways(...)Why
The Māori Party believes rail has a critical role in shaping the future of the regions by breaking the isolation of hard to reach communities and producing more jobs and economic growth. Since the 1980s, transport investment has been too narrowly focused on roads and regional rail and communities have been neglected.
Establishing IwiRail to redevelop regional railways should improve access to the regions and reduce the reliance on trucking and roads. It would also provide an investment opportunity for iwi and citizens, and bring new employment and tourism opportunities to the regions.
HowThe Māori Party would establish IwiRail to redevelop regional railways. IwiRail would construct new lines, take over leases of key regional rail lines and re-open closed lines.
The priority in the first ten years would be the takeover of rail line leases across key regional rail lines in Taranaki, Waikato-Tauranga and Napier-Gisborne.
The network would run high speed, digitally connected and carbon neutral trains, and IwiRail would offer freight and passenger services consistent with Māori values, including affordable access and fair pricing.
The Māori Party would also reintroduce rail sector wages and job training subsidies to support the staffing of IwiRail and provide good jobs for people in the regions.
IwiRail would receive $100 million per year from the National Land Transport Fund for regional line upgrades and maintenance. An initial investment of $350 million for an infrastructure fund would be raised through a mixture of public, iwi and private investment.
Fund shareholders would receive an 8 per cent return on investment. Iwi and New Zealand citizens would have preferential rights to invest and their investment guaranteed.
The Māori Party would also reintroduce rail sector wages and job training subsidies to support the staffing of IwiRail and provide good jobs for people in the regions.
;" class="bgcolor">National
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Save thisBuild ten more Roads of National Significance(...)Why
National believes that strong transport connections are critical to support New Zealand’s regions and economic prosperity.
The original seven Roads of National Significance funded by the National Government, which are now either complete or under construction, have improved safety and travel times around the country.
Expanding the Roads of National Significance programme should reduce congestion and travel times, provide better access to regional centres, contribute to economic growth and make New Zealand’s state highways safer.
HowNational would build ten new Roads of National Significance.
The Roads of National Significance programmes involves improving, constructing or extending State Highways that are nationally important and which require work to reduce congestion, improve safety and support economic growth. There have been seven Roads of National Significance so far.
Roads built under the programme typically have four lanes, separation between traffic flows, wide lanes, safe roadsides, high quality landscaping and environmental controls, and high quality signage.
The ten new Roads of National Significance would be Wellsford to Whangarei, the East West Link in Auckland, Cambridge to Tirau, Piarere to the foot of the Kaimai Range, Tauranga to Katikati, Napier to Hastings, Manawatu Gorge, Levin to Sanson, the Christchurch Northern Motorway, and Christchurch to Ashburton.
National estimates the new roads would cost around $10.5 billion in addition to the $12 billion invested in the first seven. They would be funded from the National Land Transport Fund and through public-private partnerships.
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Save thisIncrease funding for KiwiRail(...)Why
National believes KiwiRail has achieved significant productivity and efficiency improvements over the past two years, and more investment is required to put the rail network on a long term sustainable footing. This should support tourism, freight and export industries.
HowNational would increase funding for KiwiRail. As a part of Budget 2017, the National Government allocated $548 million of new funding for KiwiRail.
This funding would be used to maintain and upgrade New Zealand’s rail network and support freight movement, exporters, tourism and public transport.
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Save thisContinue to improve the safety of high-risk rural State Highways(...)Why
National believes that simple mistakes are causing too many deaths on New Zealand roads. Improving the safety of high-risk rural roads by increasing safety measures should reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads.
HowNational would continue to improve the safety of high-risk rural State Highways as part of the Safe Roads and Roadsides programme.
National would spend $600 million over the next six years on flexible road safety barriers, wide centrelines, widened shoulders, rumble strips and turnaround bays at approximately 90 high-risk sites on rural State Highways in 14 regions across New Zealand, including Tauranga.
;" class="bgcolor">ACT
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Save thisEncourage private sector investment in road construction(...)Why
ACT believes that New Zealand has underinvested in transport infrastructure. This has led to high levels of congestion and reduced economic activity because of lengthy travel times.
Encouraging private sector investment in road construction should increase the amount of transport infrastructure available and reduce congestion.
HowACT would encourage private sector investment in road construction, both through direct ownership of roads and partnerships with central and local government.
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Save thisReview autonomous vehicle regulations(...)Why
ACT believes that the use of technology and entrepreneurship should be encouraged in transport. Reviewing regulations limiting the use of autonomous vehicles should encourage their use.
HowACT would review regulations relating to the use and viability of autonomous vehicles.