Saturday, 1 April 2023

Te Tuhi, 13 Reeves Road, Pakuranga

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Kia ora koutou,

It is great to be here with Transport Minister Michael Wood to start construction of the next phase of the Eastern Busway.

Soon after becoming Mayor, I pushed the government to provide an extra $200 million in funding so we could get this vital transport project underway.

In December, the Minister and I announced that the funding has been secured – that’s why we’re here today and able to get this project underway.

The Eastern Busway will provide better connections with a reliable high frequency service every few minutes in peak periods, providing a 40-minute bus and train trip between Botany Town Centre and Britomart, saving 20 minutes.

There are already 7,000 people using the completed Panmure to Pakuranga busway each day, a number which I’m sure will grow significantly once this is extended towards Botany. AT tell me they expect 14,000 passengers a day to use the busway by 2028, and 23,000 from 2048.

It is a great example of a project that provides Aucklanders with faster journeys, both for people catching buses and for people driving.

The busway project also includes the Reeves Road flyover, which will separate traffic coming off the Waipuna Bridge from Ti Rakau Drive, allowing a direct link to Pakuranga Road.

I want to thank Councillors Maurice Williamson and Sharon Stewart for their advocacy on this matter over many years and I know many residents will be very happy for this project to finally get the go ahead.

The busway extension is an important step towards an agreed broader plan to futureproof Auckland with one high-quality, joined-up transport system. The Minister and I have been working on this plan together in recent months and I look forward to continuing the work to deliver improved transport for Auckland.

The Northern Busway is probably Auckland’s most successful transport project of recent years. The Eastern Busway is sure to be just as successful - I will be pushing for the Integrated Transport Plan to progress plans for more busways across Auckland, particularly in the Northwest.

Thank you.

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