Francesca Rudkin: Maybe we need to keep the CRL costs in perspective

I can’t wait to get onto Auckland’s CRL. I can’t wait to check out the overly grand stations. And I can’t wait to experience moving around our city in a way residents of other modern cities around the world have been doing for decades. 

More so, I can’t wait to see if it does what it was intended to do - transform the city's rail network from a "one-way cul-de-sac" into a two-way through-system, designed to double the network's capacity and improve accessibility across the region.  

It’s been a monster of a ride getting this underground railway built, and yes it’s costs a bundle, but I was intrigued this week that those most vocal about the decision making and costs are the people responsible for the project. 

Good on former CRL boss Sean Sweeney for coming out and calling it how he sees it. We need people with experience expressing views on how we do things in this country. Sweeney oversaw the CRL, and its many cost increases and associated challenges for six years, and admits he would do things differently if he had his time again.

He feels the main issue with the CRL was that it was over-specified. It’s not just the CRL, he also thinks the Christchurch stadium could have been built for less. As much as Cantabrians are enjoying the stadium, I’m sure there are many who feel the same way.  

Building infrastructure is a bit like buying a house. When you buy you’re convinced you’re being ripped off and then 7-10 years later you’re generally pretty happy with the price and capital gain. I’m sure that over the next 10, 20, 100 years we’ll feel pretty pleased with ourselves for future proofing these investments: a platform long enough to cope with extra train carriages in anticipation of Auckland’s population growth, and a roof on Christchurch’s stadium. 

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop took the opportunity to reinforce National’s ‘fiscally responsible’ stance by ordering a review into the build, while still trying to stay positive about a project which will open on his watch. It was a bit of a headline grab. An effort to look proactive in response to the criticism. But anything that costs $5.5 billion, and was as difficult and disruptive as the CRL has been, should be reviewed and learnt from. Preferably before we launch into a second Auckland Harbour crossing.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown also piped up, expressing his long held view on the cost of the CRL, saying the project was “set up poorly” and he would take a tougher approach to projects.  

But weirdly, I don’t hear Aucklanders talking about it the same way as those who were or are involved in it.

Remember City Rail Link Limited was formed between the National Government and the Phil Goff-led Auckland Council in 2017 to jointly fund and oversee it through to completion. Both local and central Government are responsible for this project. 

While the CRL has been a torturous affair, especially for those living, working or trying to run a business around its construction, most locals just want it to open, for it to make a fundamental change to how we get around our clogged up city, and can’t wait to give it a try.

Spending $2 billion more on the CRL is worth a discussion, but maybe we need to keep it in perspective.

Superannuation currently costs the country over $24 billion annually and is estimated by Treasury to cost over $45 billion in 10 years. The reluctance of political parties to thoughtfully address this is neglectful. So, enjoy the fancy infrastructure where you can, there’s unlikely to be much more on the way. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News TALKSB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
I can't wait to get onto Auckland CRL. I can't
wait to check out the overly grand stations, and I
can't wait to experience in moving around our city in
a way residents of other modern cities around the world
have been doing for decades. More So, I can't wait
to see if it does what it intended to do,
transform the city's rail network from a one way cul
de sac into a two way through system designed to

(00:35):
double the network's capacity and improve accessibility across the region.
It has been a monster of a ride getting this
underground railway build, and yes it's cost a bundle, but
I was intrigued this week that those most vocal about
the decision making and the costs are the people responsible
for the project. Good on former CRL boss Shawan Sweeney

(00:57):
for coming out and calling it how he sees that
we need people with experience expressing views on how we
do things in this country. Sweeney oversaw the CRL and
its many costs, increases associated challenges for six years and
admits he would do things differently if he had his
time again. He feels the main issue with the CRL
was that it was overspecified. It's not just the CRL.
He also thinks the christ Church Stadium could have been

(01:19):
built for less as much as Cantabrians are enjoying the stadium.
I'm sure there are many who feel the same way.
But building infrastructure it's a bit like building hats or
buying a house. I should say, when you buy, you're
convinced you're being ripped off, and then seventy ten years
later you're generally pretty happy with the price and the
capital gain. And I'm sure that over the next ten
twenty one hundred years will feel pretty pleased with ourselves

(01:42):
for future proofing these investments. A platform long enough to
cope with extra train carriages in anticipation of Auckland's population growth,
and a roof on christ Church's stadium. Infrastructure and Infrastructure
Minister Chris Bishop took the opportunity to reinforce National's fiscally
responsible stance by ordering a review into the build while

(02:02):
trying to stay positive about a project which opens on
his watch. Was a bit of a headline grab, an
effort to look proactive in a response to criticism but
anything that costs five point five billion and was difficult
and as disruptive as the CRL has been should be
reviewed and learnt from, preferably before we launch into a
second harbor crossing. Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown also piped up

(02:27):
expressing his long held view that on the cost of
the CRL, saying the project was set up poorly and
he would take a tougher approach to projects. But weirdly,
I don't hear Auckland is talking about it the same
way as those who were or are involved in it. Remember,
the City Rate City Rail Link Limited was formed between
the National Government and Phil Goff led Auckland Council in

(02:47):
twenty seventeen to jointly fund and oversee it through to completion.
Both local and central government are responsible for this project.
While the CRL has been a torturous affair, especially for
those living, working, or trying to run a business around
its construction, most locals just want it to open, for
it to make a fundamental change to how we get

(03:09):
around our clogged up city and can't wait to give
it a try. Spending two billion more on the CRL
is worth a discussion, but maybe we need to keep
it in perspective. Superannuation currently costs the country over twenty
four billion annually and it's estimated by Treasury to cost
over forty five billion in ten years. The reluctance of
political parties to thoughtfully address this over the years is neglectful.

(03:31):
So enjoy the fancy infrastructure where you can. There's unlikely
to be much more of it on the way.

Speaker 1 (03:38):
For more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks it Be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.