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(Image: Tina Tiller via Stuart Donovan)
(Image: Tina Tiller via Stuart Donovan)

OPINIONOpinionFebruary 2, 2023

Auckland needs sustainable transport. Will we get it under Wayne Brown?

(Image: Tina Tiller via Stuart Donovan)
(Image: Tina Tiller via Stuart Donovan)

The devastating deluge has highlighted the need for urgent climate action – but how likely is that under our current mayor?

As a proud, unashamed JAFA, the recent floods literally hit home. Sirens blared nonstop all night Friday and all morning Saturday as a mighty torrent raged outside my window. It felt like the apocalypse that we know is coming hit Tāmaki Makaurau early. The ultimate apocalypse, climate change, was even acknowledged by new prime minister Chris Hipkins and new-ish mayor Wayne Brown as the cause of Auckland’s devastating deluge. 

Amid the climate crisis we find ourselves in, sustainable solutions are essential. Although Auckland’s emissions are tiny relative to other global cities and their parent countries, the time to act is now. If we did, our biggest city could become a leading global example for other cities to follow regarding sustainable solutions. A key ingredient for Tāmaki’s sustainability recipe has to be reducing transport emissions. Currently, transport is the primary source of Auckland’s greenhouse gas emissions. Transitioning from polluting to sustainable transport means a refocus from fossil fuel-burning cars towards public transport (PT), active modes (biking, walking, scooting, skating) and clean cars. 

Flooding outside Auckland's Eden Park after the record rainfall.
Flooding on Eden Park’s outer oval after the record rainfall in Auckland. (Photo: RNZ)

The recent floods were a wero laid down by mother nature to action sustainable solutions right now – not tomorrow, next week, next month or next year. How will Auckland and mayor Wayne Brown respond to this challenge? When it comes to sustainable transport it’s hard to tell, because Brown’s big transport policy is yet to be thought up, let alone put into action.

We do know that Brown’s big transport policy, announced last December, will be a co-authored plan with the Beehive covering cars, PT, freight, active modes, the port and a new harbour crossing. Since the plan is still in the formulation stage, it isn’t easy to investigate whether or not it will progress sustainability. The Spinoff contacted the mayoral office for comment, but we are yet to receive a reply. But some of Brown’s early actions as mayor indicate his stance on sustainable transport in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Mayor Brown appointed councillor John Watson as Auckland Council’s transport lead. Under the previous mayor, Phil Goff, councillor Chris Darby was the transport lead. Darby had Tāmaki heading in a sustainable transport direction, prioritising emissions reductions by investing in PT and active modes. It was a kick in the nuts to Darby and sustainable transport when Brown did not reappoint him. As Auckland’s transport lead, Watson is aiming for low-hanging fruit. Watson’s unambitious 2023 transport priority for Auckland is improved communication with PT users. AT is not off to a good start in achieving Watson’s goal. The earliest communication about how to get to the January 27th Elton John concert was on… January 26th. The priorities of Brown’s transport lead are in stark contrast to Goff’s equivalent. Darby was doing the hard yards to champion sustainable transport, which Watson has yet to do. 

Brown has also placed two Auckland councillors on the AT board, Mike Lee being one of them. Lee has proven to be a roadblock for a major sustainable transport project in Auckland’s inner west. He convinced Mayor Brown to delay a PT, biking and pedestrian upgrade spanning Grey Lynn, Westmere and Point Chevalier. These projects have been in the works since 2016, and advocacy groups Bike Auckland and Women in Urbanism urged leaders to go ahead with them after Lee’s efforts. 

A map showing the Inner West Improvement project's bike infrastructure.
A map showing the bike infrastructure in the proposed Inner west improvement project. (Image: Auckland Transport)

Brown has appointed councillors into powerful transport positions who have so far not been sustainability advocates. These appointments do not bode well for sustainable transport in Tāmaki Makaurau, nor do Brown’s comments. On January 25th, Brown penned a New Zealand Herald piece titled “The case for light rail is lighter than ever”. Auckland’s boss stated that light rail is not immediately essential and should be decided on after opening the City Rail Link, which at its earliest is roughly two years away. Brown also commented that the price for light rail has ballooned out of control. Although that is a correct assessment, it doesn’t mean that light rail should be rejected altogether. PT, including light rail, will be necessary for Auckland’s sustainable transport solution. Auckland light rail could be done more cheaply than currently proposed, for example, by choosing a surface-level option instead of the current tunnelled plan. 

So far, the actions and words of Wayne Brown suggest sustainable transport will not progress during his term as mayor. However, the key term there is “so far”. In the aftermath of Auckland’s first climate crisis catastrophe, both the public and many politicians are demanding sustainable solutions. Hopefully, the co-authored plan yet to come from Auckland Council and the Beehive will boost sustainable transport – but only time will tell how Tāmaki Makaurau, and Mayor Brown, respond to the wero laid down by mother nature to enact climate crisis solutions now. 

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