Public Transport stories
The project’s funding gap has been narrowed after a consortium offered to match the governments’ combined AUD $10 billion commitment.
Private lenders are poised to back KiwiBuild, but officials must set clear rules if the scheme is to deliver 100,000 homes on time.
Road maintenance is up, but state highway investment is down sharply, heightening fears of a future infrastructure deficit as traffic grows.
Durable materials and careful route planning are becoming central to 100-year tunnel designs as cities push more infrastructure underground.
More than 600 delegates will hear ministers, mayors and industry leaders discuss funding, transport and planning at Auckland’s biggest infrastructure conference.
Space, safety and pollution concerns are driving a rethink in central Melbourne, where streets may be narrowed and parking repurposed.
Excluding asset recycling from the review could leave councils without a key option to fund roads, water and housing as costs rise.
The rail operator plans to measure and report emissions, while shifting more freight off roads could cut New Zealand's annual output by 518,000 tonnes.
Planning decisions in Auckland will now be based on data processed in two days rather than months, as the council moves its portal to AWS Cloud.
Lower-emission cars could become more affordable in New Zealand if ministers adopt incentives, fuel pricing reforms and tougher scrappage rules.
Record transport spending will not ease congestion or housing shortages fast enough, according to Infrastructure New Zealand, which says funding still lags Australia.
Civil firms fear a USD $2 billion lull in work could push skills and equipment overseas before rapid transit projects begin.
Councils are reluctant to fund growth infrastructure because central government captures the tax gains, an infrastructure expert says.
Road spending is set to top AUD $20 billion this financial year, but rail projects may crowd it out after 2018 as costs rise.
As cities tighten scooter rules, dockless electric rides are testing whether they can shift short car trips and ease congestion.
Greater use of private capital is still needed as New Zealand’s Budget only partly meets the country’s infrastructure investment gap, industry leaders say.
Specialised procurement is being urged to keep NZD $42 billion in capital spending on schedule, as costs could rise if projects are poorly sequenced.
New Zealand households and farmers could face higher carbon costs, while more trees and low-emissions vehicles are encouraged under the plan.
Auckland commuters and freight operators are set to gain from a NZD $30 billion transport spend, though congestion relief is still in doubt.
New Zealand’s emissions rose 20% from 1990 to 2016, underscoring the difficulty of meeting its 2030 climate target.
