{"id":298224,"date":"2026-02-23T14:25:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T14:25:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/298224\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T14:25:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T14:25:07","slug":"aucklands-next-harbour-crossing-a-costly-failure-that-needs-fixing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/298224\/","title":{"rendered":"Auckland\u2019s next harbour crossing: A costly failure that needs fixing"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0following is an op-ed I wrote which ran in The Post on February 13th 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We need cross-party consensus for good long-term political decision-making, especially when it comes to major infrastructure. Right now, this isn\u2019t happening. Worse: political parties may agree about the wrong things, seriously undermining our future at huge cost.<\/p>\n

Take the Auckland Harbour Crossing.<\/p>\n

Currently, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) and the government seem to be converging on the idea of a tunnel, primarily for cars, with no dedicated access for public transport, walking or cycling.<\/p>\n

Even if buildable, it would be wildly unaffordable. In 2016, the estimate for a tunnel crossing was $4 billion, and more recent figures suggest it\u2019s now over $20 billion.<\/p>\n

First: how is this even being seriously entertained?<\/p>\n

Secondly: why is it so shrouded in secrecy? Hundreds of millions of our dollars (so far) have been shovelled towards various plans and designs, mostly to consultancies, with no public input.<\/p>\n

Thirdly: after decades of work under many governments\u2026 has there been any progress?<\/p>\n

You may wonder who\u2019s accountable for this? Politicians?<\/p>\n

NZTA is in charge of the Harbour Crossing work. In principle, it\u2019s statutorily independent from politicians, with a funding source separate from general taxes. Nominally, it\u2019s the chief decision-maker and delivery agency for transport projects.<\/p>\n

But in practice, it is far from independent, due to a sticky combination of bureaucratic bias, pressure from politicians, and lobbying from the roading sector.<\/p>\n

NZTA\u2019s origins in the National Roads Board \u2013 set up to build state highways to make it easier to drive across the country \u2013 mean that significant parts of the modern organisation still don\u2019t understand the kind of transport cities and towns need.<\/p>\n

Thanks to this internal legacy, NZTA consistently underestimates demand for public transport, walking, and cycling, and prioritises urban roads instead.<\/p>\n

Politicians of all stripes continue to pressure so-called \u2018independent\u2019 agencies to deliver campaign promises, using policy processes and funding mechanisms. Occasionally, this helps get vital non-road infrastructure over the line, as with the City Rail Link, tenaciously championed by former Mayor Len Brown.<\/p>\n

More often, status-quo bias prevails. After the 2023 election, then-Minister of Transport Simeon Brown wrote to NZTA outlining his opposition to including new walking, cycling, or rapid transit connections in the Harbour Crossing. These, of course, are the very things we are currently lacking.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worrying that, in spite of its purported independence, NZTA seems to have avidly acquiesced to this cars-only diktat. And worrying, too, that it\u2019s broadly refusing to release any information justifying the public value of this narrow approach.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the political pendulum swings a wrecking ball at the public service, reducing in-house capability and capacity. This leaves public agencies reliant on consultants to manage design and delivery of major projects.<\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, consultants and engineering firms often recommend the most ambitious (and most expensive) solution to any given problem. Cue scope creep and cost blowouts, as seems to be happening with Auckland\u2019s Harbour Crossing.<\/p>\n

What to do? It\u2019s probably impossible to create a truly independent agency, completely free from political influence, industry lobbying, or internal bias. But for better outcomes, we need processes that are clear, transparent, and reliable.<\/p>\n

Otherwise we\u2019re stuck constantly pouring our money towards experts who beaver away in secret on projects deemed politically sensitive, only revealing their near-complete shovel-ready designs at the very last minute, to public dismay.<\/p>\n

Luckily, there\u2019s a promising way forward. An independent commission that researches and ranks all large-scale, long-term projects \u2013 with the results then presented to a citizen\u2019s assembly for consideration.<\/p>\n

This would reduce undue influence by both politicians and commercial enterprises.<\/p>\n

It would also refocus the experts \u2013 and our precious public investment \u2013 on maintaining transparency, clarifying what\u2019s at stake, and regaining trust.<\/p>\n

Sounds too good to be true? Auckland has a recent, live example of this more transparent and democratic approach.<\/p>\n

To help solve the challenge of how the city will source its water in the future, Watercare partnered with Koi T\u016b: The Centre for Informed Futures at the University of Auckland.<\/p>\n

They convened a \u201ccitizens\u2019 assembly\u201d: a group of Aucklanders selected to represent the city\u2019s demographics, who spent two months in 2022 carefully considering many options, ultimately recommending directly recycling water.<\/p>\n

Deputy Director of Koi T\u016b, Dr Anne Bardsley, said this inclusive approach helps with better decision-making on \u201ccomplex issues where we face numerous trade-offs and uncertainties, and where the decisions have long-term consequences on how our future might play out.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next Harbour Crossing is another major decision, fraught with trade-offs and uncertainties, and the long-term consequences will echo for decades. As we\u2019ve seen recently, our current assumptions about resilience need rapid updating.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s choose the better way forward. Yes, we need sincere cross-party commitment from the politicians we elect to guide us \u2013 but we also need decisions based on honest and open discussion about what we actually need, with a greater voice for the people.<\/p>\n

Greater Auckland\u2019s work is made possible by generous donations from our readers and fans.\u00a0We\u2019re now a registered charity, so your donations are tax-deductible. If you\u2019d like to support our work you can\u00a0join our circle of supporters here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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