Wellington chamber welcomes transport announcement, signals funding concern

“The Wellington Chamber of Commerce welcomes today’s announcement of a preferred option for mass rapid transit,” Chief Executive Simon Arcus said today.

“It is good to see the government being very clear on its thoughts. These are the kind of significant plans Wellingtonians have been waiting for. This is a big improvement on where things have been heading in recent times.

While we preferred the more cost-effective and resilient bus rapid transit option – Wellington needs to get moving. The Chamber has advocated for grade separation at the Basin for nearly a decade and is delighted to see it finally going ahead.

The Chamber also signaled concerns over the project’s funding.

“We learned today that our rail network needs $7.3 billion of investment to keep up with growth, this is on top of major investment in the golden mile cycleways and city streets.” Simon Arcus said.

“Treasury warned in the budget that how Wellington will fund the 60% share in the project remains unclear. Wellingtonians pay twice for the project, through taxes and rates, and they deserve certainty over how it will be funded.

“Wellingtonians deserve a say in what they fund, and what projects are prioritised. We need a clear focus on the most important projects, and a plan for our region to meet the costs.”