Nick Mills: Wellingtonians should be thrilled with massive cuts to cycle lane and speed bump budgets

OPINION

Yesterday on her show, Heather Du Plessis Allan revealed that transport and local government minister Simeon brown has a new name.

He’s now being called 'Golden Balls' by his caucus.

It's a reference to David Beckham, a name he got for always delivering and because everything he touched turned to gold.

There’s clearly a lot of faith in Simeon Brown.

Well, yesterday he was definitely spreading gold; $33 billion worth in his transport plan for 2024 to 2027.

There’s actually not much new in this plan. For Wellington, the roads in the plan have previously been announced. This just tells us what's being funded and gives us some timeframes.

And what’s been funded for Wellington is undoubtedly good. We still get the second Mt Victoria tunnel, and we get the Petone to Grenada link road. 

And there's also good news in the pothole prevention fund which gets $5.5 billion over 3 years, and there’s been a boost in funding for local council road maintenance budgets too. 

But there’s two big things that stuck out to me in the plan. Have a guess what they are.

Cycleways and speed bumps.

Brown announced yesterday the government is slashing the fund that helps local councils to build cycleways and walkways.

And the cut is big; the fund has been halved from $910 million to $460 million.

It's certainly welcome news to Wellington motorists like you and I.

Brown said New Zealanders were sick and tired of seeing how much money is going into cycleways in recent years, and he’s bang on.

There's no better example than Wellington.

Not only that, but he wants an end to the constant construction of speed bumps.

They have, in his words, been "infesting our streets while potholes were not being filled". 

And here comes another big cut; not a single cent from this $33 billion budget will be spent on speed bumps.

If they want them built, councils will have to pay for it themselves. 

Have you driven anywhere lately without going over a speed hump or getting bumped around by potholes? 

Does Thorndon Quay ring a bell?

This is a ballsy move from Simeon. A golden ballsy move.

But I know damn well that people in the Wellington region will agree with reducing the spend on cycleways, walkways and speed humps that have been plaguing our city for so long. 

I feel like it's one of the biggest gripes people in Wellington have. 

If only I had a dollar for every text that comes in during the show moaning about cycleways or speed bumps, I’d be retiring tomorrow. 

In fairness, walkways I agree with. You should be able to walk anywhere, anytime. But how much of that budget was being spent on walkways?

The constant spend on cycleways and speed humps lately has driven me nuts.

And from now on, Wellington City Council won't be able to just call on NZTA to pay for speed humps or cycleways.

Let’s just hope the council doesn't rack up more debt for ratepayers by paying for them fully themselves. 

Surely they’re not that dumb.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks at b.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Yesterday, Heather Dupsicy Allen revealed on her show that Transport
Minister and Local Government Minister and Minister Everything, Simmy and
Brown has a new nickname. He's now been called Golden
Balls by his caucus. It's a reference to David Beckham,
a name he got for always delivering because of everything
he touched turned to gold. Well, clearly there's a lot

(00:36):
of faith in Simmey and Brown. How old is he
thirty two? Not that that has any relevance whatsoever. He's
a young man. Well yesterday he was definitely spending gold
thirty three billion dollars in fact, thirty three billion dollars
worth of Transport plan between twenty twenty four and twenty

(00:57):
twenty seven. And there's actually not much new in the plan.
The roads in it are previously being announced. It just
tells us what's been funded and some of the time frames.
Good news and what's been funded for Wellington is good. Yes,
we still get the second Mount Victoria tunnel. Yes we

(01:17):
get the Granada to Tony Motorway. And also good news
is that potholes prevention get five point five billion dollars
over three years, and that's a been a boost for
local councils for road maintenance as well. But there's two
things that stuck out for me and the plan. The
two things I want to talk about this morning. Just

(01:40):
have a guess what they are. One, two, three, four, five, Okay,
I'll tell you cycle ways and speed humps. Brown announced
yesterday the government is slashing the fund that government gives
governments local councils to build cycle ways yay and walk

(02:01):
ways not so yay. But it's been halved from a
nine hundred ten million dollars to four hundred and sixty million.
That's a big cut and it's certainly welcome news to
Wellington motorists like you and I. Brown said New Zealanders
was second tired of seeing how much money is going

(02:21):
into cycle ways in recent years, and he's bang on.
Not only that, he wants to see speed humps reduced.
They have been, in his words, infesting our streets while
potholes were not being filled. And listen to this. Not
a single cent from his thirty three billion dollar budget

(02:43):
will be spent on speed humps. These will be for
local councils to fund entirely themselves if they want them built.

Speaker 3 (02:52):
So no, we're cutting the funding for speed bumps with
In fact, I call it an infestation of speed bumps
that we've seen across our roads whilst potholes have been
remaining unfilled. So actually I want to see that money
going into filling potholes, not making it inconvenient for motorists
trying to get around advacces. Is it a zero, like
it's a zero for the speed bumps? That is correct,

(03:13):
there's no further funding for speed bumps under this national
land trend. To me, and did you tell the councils that? Well,
I think I've been very clear so that won't come
as a surprise. The reality is I think Keywis are
sick and tired of councils up and down this country
simply trying to slow them down and cause congestion rather

(03:34):
than actually increase the efficiency of their local roading network.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
Have you actually driven anywhere lately without going over a
speed hump or actually getting bumped around by potholes? Does
Thornton Key ring a bell? This is a ballsy move
from Simeon, a golden ballsy move, but I know damn
well people in Wellington region will agree with reducing speed

(04:00):
on cycle ways, the speed on cycleways and increase the
speed on cars because the cycle ways slow down speed
humps that have been plaguing our city for so damn long.
I feel like it's always been a gripe for the
Wellington people, our region. We've always moaned about speed humps,

(04:20):
We've always moaned about cycle ways. If only I had
a dollar for every text that comes through during the
show moaning about cycle waves or speed humps, I would
be able to retire. I'd be a rich man and
fairness walkways I agree with you should be able to
walk anywhere at any time, but how much of that
budget was been spent on walkways the constant spent on

(04:44):
cycle ways speed humps have been driving me nuts lately.
One of my colleagues said this morning they counted four
speed humps driving through Nio last week. From now on,
Wellington City Council won't be able to just rely on
New Zealand Transport Association to pay for the speed humps
or cycle ways, but have to reply funding it all

(05:07):
for speed hunts have to go and the ballot for
cycle ways they might not get the money. They probably
won't get what they want. Let's hope they don't rack
up more debt to me and you as rate payers.
Let's hope that they don't start paying for them all
out of our rates and putting our rates up. Let's
hope surely they're not quite that dumb, are they.

Speaker 1 (05:28):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd Be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio