Auckland Mayor Phil Goff welcomes the government’s announcement of an Establishment Unit to progress City Centre to Māngere Light Rail, and says the project should get underway as soon as practical.

“Light rail from Auckland’s city centre to Māngere and the airport precinct will play a critical role in Auckland’s rapid transit network,” Mayor Goff says.

“As well as making it easier and faster to get around the city by reducing traffic congestion, light rail will have benefits for jobs, support housing development along the route and reduce carbon emissions from transport.

“This project is long overdue and I welcome the government signalling decisive steps to get it back on track for Auckland.

“I welcome also the government’s inclusion of Auckland Council and the community as key partners in the project, which is fully funded by central government. The proposal is for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor Bill Cashmore to be sponsors of the project, alongside the ministers of Transport and Finance.

“This will help ensure that the Auckland and Aucklanders are well represented to make input into the route, mode and delivery of this project and will help secure the best possible outcome for our city.

“The government has also indicated that it will be listening carefully to the views of the Auckland community and other stakeholders, and I commend this collaborative approach.

“As New Zealand’s largest city and the engine room of the national economy, Auckland needs an efficient and well-functioning public transport network, and light rail is an important component of this.

“While the timeframe for the Establishment Unit is tight, with a business case expected to be developed over six months, we all want to see progress on this important project for Auckland.

“With the involvement of the council, government, transport agencies, stakeholders and the community, I hope we can get this project underway sooner rather than later.”

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