Mega tunnel idea prompts anger and satire but finds a couple of champions
One proponent has suggested the minister give Elon Musk a call about the newly resurrected mega tunnel idea for Wellington
Mōrena, and welcome to The Bulletin for Tuesday, April 16.
In today’s edition: pet bond announcement light on detail; record number of people leaving and arriving in New Zealand; Newshub staff called to meeting today for ‘important business update’; but first, government’s request for advice on Wellington mega tunnel draws ire, satire and a suggestion we give Elon Musk a call
‘We’re having a really good look at it” — Chris Bishop
The Herald’s Georgina Campbell broke the news yesterday that the government has asked Waka Kotahi to investigate building a four-kilometre long tunnel underneath Wellington, linking the Terrace Tunnel to Kilbirnie. Transport minister Simeon Brown said a long tunnel could make trips in the Wellington region to the airport up to 15 minutes faster. The current proposals for a second Mt Victoria tunnel are estimated to save travellers between two and three minutes on a trip to the airport. The tunnel would be close to twice the length of Auckland’s Waterview tunnel, which is currently the longest road tunnel in the country. Infrastructure minister Chris Bishop confirmed yesterday that the government was “having a really good look” at the idea. The Wellington tunnel proposal was considered in 2021 and subsequently rejected due to cost. The Spinoff’s Joel MacManus turned his mind to imagining what kind of cost-benefit analysis would have been required to resurrect the idea.
‘Frankly, astonishing’ — regional council transport chairperson
The news prompted Greater Wellington regional council transport chairperson Thomas Nash to say the announcement showed “an astonishing misunderstanding of transport priorities at a national level”. “We have new inter-island ferries that we need, we have massive upgrades to regional rail/metropolitan rail that we need, we have basic stuff like bus lanes, more buses that we need. The idea that a multi-billion dollar tunnel underneath Wellington for the 30% of traffic going out to the east should be the top of your priority list is, frankly, astonishing,” he said.
Anger in wake of ferry project cancellation
As Campbell reports, while costings aren’t known, Nash understood initial estimates could be as much as $10b - three times the cost of the cancelled mega ferry project. Labour’s transport spokesman Tangi Utikere said cancelling the urgently needed Cook Strait ferries and announcing the prospect of another tunnel in Wellington was not good decision-making. Campbell points to several cost comparisons on other significant transport projects including:
Auckland’s 2.4km Waterview tunnel: $1.4b
Auckland’s 3.45km City Rail Link project: $5.5b
Estimated costs on second Mt Victoria tunnel: $2.2b
Estimated overall costs on cancelled ferry project: close to $3b
‘Tell the minister, he could get Elon Musk to build it’
Not everyone thinks it’s a Lyle Lanley-esque flight of fancy. As The Post’s Erin Gourley reports this morning, the idea has a couple of champions. Transport expert and former head of Metlink and Transdev, Greg Pollock, said the long tunnel seemed like a “great idea” and was superior to the second Mt Victoria. Addressing concerns about earthquake resilience, Ian Brown, of a geological engineering company Ian Brown Associates, said tunnels perform “incredibly well” under earthquake loading. “Tunnels are technically feasible anywhere, it all boils down to affordability,” he said. Acknowledging that Elon Musk’s HyperLoop project, a futuristic transport solution that involved whizzing people around in tubes at speed, had problems, Brown suggested the minister could get “Elon Musk to build” the tunnel. One of the most well-known players in the hyperloop space, HyperLoop One, shutdown at the end of 2023.
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Pet bond announcement light on detail
Housing minister Chris Bishop was joined by his dog, Ladyhawke, and regulation minister David Seymour to announce a new pet bond scheme for landlords yesterday. The policy was part of the National/Act coalition agreement and will be included in amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act being introduced to the House, which includes the reintroduction of no-cause evictions. The scheme allows landlords to charge an additional bond of up to two weeks' rent on top of the standard bond if tenants want to have a pet in a property. Renters would also be liable for any damage, whether accidental or due to lack of care, caused by pets. Landlords will only be able to deny tenants with pets on reasonable grounds. As RNZ reports, Renters United spokesperson Luke Somervell said the announcement was just a “coat of paint over a shabby situation for renters”. “Pet bond changes don't offer more security for renters; in fact, they open the door for landlords to pad their wallets at renters' expense,” he said. This morning’s editorial from The Herald (paywalled) calls the announcement “slim on details” and says it raises more questions than answers.
Migration hits new highs with record numbers of arrivals and departures
According to provisional numbers (these are always revised) from Stats NZ released yesterday, a record number of people both left and arrived in New Zealand for the year ending February 2024. 253,200 people arrived in New Zealand, and 122,300 departed, creating an annual net migration gain of 130,900. Annual net migration provisionally peaked in the year ended November 2023, with a gain of 142,200. interest.co.nz’s Greg Ninness writes that “Immigration patterns appear to be settling into a new normal, with much higher levels of inward migration pushing up the net population gain compared to pre-Covid levels.”
ICYMI: Weekend reads on The Spinoff
The Sunday Essay: “For some people, I sound too Malaysian. For others, not Malaysian enough.”
3 Body Problem star,Jess Hong takes us through her life in TV, from Spongebob to the prowess of Korean reality shows.
Courtney Johnston reviews The Grimmelings by Rachael King
I review Scoop, the new Netflix drama about Prince Andrew’s Newsnight interview
Click and Collect
Newshub staff called to meeting today for “important business update”
Prime minister Christopher Luxon meets with his Singaporean counterpart, Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong
In the grand Singaporean tradition of naming orchids after visiting prime ministers, Luxon also has a dendrobium orchid named after him
How a lie about who was responsible for the fatal attacks in Bondi spread round the world
No indication an attack at a church in Sydney last night linked to the Bondi attacks
Data available thanks to the presence of cameras on commercial fishing boats reveals significant under-reporting of ocean wildlife deaths
Man married to granddaughter of Destiny church leader Brian Tamaki pleads guilty to charges of vandalising K Road’s rainbow crossing
Feeling clever? Click here to play 1Q, Aotearoa’s newest, shortest daily quiz.
Inspired by the mega-tunnel, Emma Maguire considers a series of other equally ambitious transport options for Wellington. Max Rashbrooke investigates the strange history of an empty flagpole in Wellington and uncovers a historical myth. Lucinda Bennett draws inspiration from Miranda July and finds out what food keeps a uni students with two part-time jobs going. Stewart Sowman-Lund spots a familiar pattern in Briscoes' new 'retro' homeware collection. Joel MacManus looks into whether city deals are the answer to the unfolding disaster of council funding. We round up everything available on streaming services this week.
Sporting snippets
Black Fern Ruahei Demant celebrates her team’s Super Rugby Aupiki title with a plea for more funding from New Zealand Rugby and advocates for a merger with Australia.
Jordie Barrett re-signs to New Zealand Rugby and confirms sabbatical in Ireland
‘My hoo haa is gonna be out’: US Olympians unimpressed with Nike’s skimpy women’s track kit.
Related: The Spinoff’s Gabi Lardies’s salient piece on letting everyone wear shorts for sport.
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This mega-tunnel concept for the capital city is really intended to provide a bolt hole for ministers of the crown.
I've lived in Wellington & visited since leaving, so appreciate the concern re traffic etc. BUT now that there will be 1000's less public servants needing to get around on a daily basis, or fly in and out of the airport it might be a self-correcting problem (or perhaps with less of them they will need to spread themselves further & fly MORE?). OR with less subsidies for public transport travel with recent govt axing, perhaps there will be MORE cars on the roads? Hmmm - seems this comedy-of-errors continues of supposedly needing to save money so cutting essential spends & keeping death-dealing cigarettes on the market for exise income purposes etc. but also coming up with ideas to spend huge amounts for dubious ideas?
Why don't we look to the near future & recognise air-taxis are almost here, so building tunnels is a waste of $$$ when airport shuttles won't touch the ground??