Ben Ross

So again you have $3.7b to spend on a single transport infrastructure project. Which will it be? Intercity rail between Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga or a 4-lane Road of National Significance Highway.
The polling would suggest the Intercity Rail comes first
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sHO...

Well the hive-mind is not wrong. The people want climate adaptation, electrification, rail, and ferries, way before, massive road projects. And least of all- subsidised fossil fuel infrastructure.

Help Auckland Transport get it right on Green Lane West - Greater Auckland Picture this. You’re a Council, keen for more housing in a compact, liveable city. A chunk of former horse-racing land is up for grabs, on a major route across the heart of the isthmus, close to a par...

Green Lane West in the heart of the isthmus is home to new housing, key bus routes...and the measliest painted bike lanes.

In 2023, Auckland Transport designed a protected two-way cycleway—but then shelved it.

Now we're daylighting that plan, to ask: WHY?
www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2026/02/26/h...

Results from a new Freshwater Strategy poll for The Post, in the wake of warnings from the Infrastructure Commission / Te Waihanga about the affordability of current and future plans. The question: Do you believe the government should place more, less, or about the same level of focus on delivering large national mega projects. The response: 12% said "much more" 32% "somewhat more" 34% "about the same as now" 13% "somewhat less focus" 4% "much less focus" and 5% were unsure.

Futher results from a new Freshwater Strategy poll for The Post, in the wake of warnings from the Infrastructure Commission / Te Waihanga about the affordability of current and future plans for infrastructure. The headline: "Voters are more likely to support all prompted projects, though a second Auckland harbour crossing and import terminal for LNG are more likely to be divisive." This somewhat buries the lede, in that there are three projects that fewer than 50% of respondents support (although all projects on the chart show "Net Support" when considering just support/ opposed). The least supported projects are: The Roads of National Significance Programme (49% support, 26% neutral, 15% unsure and 11% opposed. Net support: +38) A second Auckland Harbour Crossing (39% support, 28% neutral, 7% unsure, and 26% opposed - the highest level of opposite of any of the projects shown. Net support: +13) An import terminal for Liquified Natural Gas (30% support, 33% neutral, 18% unsure and 19% opposed. Net support: +11) At the top of the chart, with strong support: Large scale flood protection works for regional cities (77% support, 13% neutral, 3% unsure, and 7% opposed. Net support +70) A national renewable energy "super grid" (61% support, 23% neutral, 8% unsure and 9% opposed. Net support +52) Increased electrification of the national rail network (55% support, 25% neutral, 9% unsure and 11% opposed. Net support +44) A new, faster, interisland transport link at Clifford Bay (54% support, 26% neutral, 6% unsure, and 15% opposed. Net support +39). Note that even in terms of net support, when it comes to transport projects "electrifying rail" and "new interisland transport link" outrank the RONS programme and the next Auckland Harbour Crossing.

Interesting poll. NZers support infrastructure investment – but strongly prefer flood-protection, renewable energy, and rail...

...vs. Roads of National Significance, a new harbour crossing, and an LNG import terminal. 🤨

Charts from www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360... via @bernardchickey.bsky.social

2nd of March, 3pm to 3:10pm via zoom confirmed to the Environment Select Committee

2nd of March, 3pm to 3:10pm via zoom confirmed to the Environment Select Committee

Was a repost after name error

Uncle Tau was a radical in Parliament
Now he is the sane voice as part of the IMSB on Auckland Council

Winston?
Senile old git
Maybe time does not grace everyone equally

Tāme Iti famously showed his buttocks to the Government, and the GG of the day
He is now a respected Statesman training the next generation of Maori Activists

Tuku Morgan had his boxes displayed in Parliament
He is now the respected CE of Waikato Tainui
Life is an interesting journey

argh for that Ill repost as I dont like getting names wrong
Cheers for that

Faith in the public backed by spinning a damn good yarn which they like and certainly will embrace

THAT said present them with this question and the proles pick the train while the technocrats pick the Roads of National Party Significance

So ummm yeah the people know better than NZTA in this case
bsky.app/profile/bena...

Technocracy vs Proles and why some days Democracy can be a bit flawed

That said reading the poll further the proles also understand infrastructure. The leaning to Flood Protection, the Grid, and Renewable Energy over Roads and LNG Terminals gives hope

Yep and true

We now go back to Tama Iti flashing his buttocks to I believe it was the Governor General of the day

I wont mention the flag and his shotgun....

Rather than using a bed leg? Got it

@brislen.nz seems I am up next for the Select Committee ramble 😮

My Submission to the New Zealand Planning Bill – 2026 Rewrite of large parts of the Bill as Public Domain goes Missing in Private Property Frenzy DONE! After five weeks and 171 pages later, I have completed my submission to the Planning Bill, which wa…

ooo presentation time to the Environment Select Committee on the Planning Bill

Just waiting on which slot
Then my 10 minutes of fame (again)

Remember
30 seconds to summarise submission (all 172 pages)
4:30 MAX minutes making the key point
5 MIN minutes Q+A


Submission on Planing Bill

National promised it in 2023 then forgot about
Labour forgot about it entirely between 2017-2023
Yet this 18km busway would give you express to the airport from Puhinui Station, and give a large chunk of South Auckland a congestion free way to move about

It is called Airport to Botany Rapid Transit

Going Jesus in the Temple thanks to Spotify ads

Picard management tip: Be patient with crew members' idiosyncrasies. They aren't machines. Well, most of them.

and it will be one or two people with bot accounts

Check the NZF account and the comments under it every time

National no better

It is for National

It is for National

YouTube video by Palpatine001 The Billion Dollar Question: Highway or Rail? | #newzealand #transportation

You have $3.7 billion to invest into a single transport project in the upper North Island of Aotearoa-New Zealand in order to unlock its full potential. Which do you choose as the (3.7) billion dollar question? A 4 lane-highway(s) OR an inter-city rail line connecting 3 cities?

youtu.be/1sHOQWY95QQ

Yep
And seems certain Auckland Councillors are too by wanting to reintroduce Minimum Parking Requirements which will make Walkable Neighbourhoods anything BUT walkable

As MPRs disable developments like Mixed Use as of Right as seen below as well as the viability of non car transport investment 👇

The thing is by allowing unfettered sprawl into HPL rural land, it then goes and pisses off National's rural vote on the way out as well.

But the problem is so easily fixable bu returning a hard Rural Urban Boundary. If in the UCA no urban development for you

Had the neighbour Tortie come by
My male House Panther embarrassed himself