There are fundamental flaws in the multi-billion dollar Auckland Transport Alignment Project 2021-31 package's emissions ambitions, and some of the claims made for it don't add up, says a group pushing for good city planning.
Urbanist advocacy group Greater Auckland says the project, known as ATAP, fails to meet the council's own emissions targets.
On Friday, a $31 billion investment in the plan was announced for Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau, with the aim to reduce emissions to help the city meet the challenges of climate change.
It is aimed at encouraging a shift away from private cars to public transport, walking and cycling, and is predicted to increase the number of public transport trips significantly.
However, Greater Auckland administrator Matt Lowrie says it gives priority to projects that will raise emissions and make driving easier, such as roading and motorways.
He says while the backers talk a big game about reducing emissions, the plan as it stands is set to increase emissions by six percent.
"It just fails to meet the targets and objectives that the council have set for themselves around mode shift, around climate... around emissions reduction, it just doesn't achieve those things, it doesn't even come close to it."
"But with the Government and the council declaring climate emergencies, we need to do more, to get emissions down - the plan relies on other policy interventions to do that and it should be doing it itself."
The ATAP investment by central government and Auckland council is an expanded package, based on a $28 billion plan announced in 2018.
But the Transport Minister Michael Wood has said the new plan goes further toward addressing climate responsibilities.
"For the first time we're turning around transport emissions rising in Auckland. The ATAP 2021-31 package alone would result [in] around 13 per cent decrease in emissions per capita when compared with the previous package, and is projected to increase public transport trips by 91 per cent.
"Alongside our recently announced policies to reduce transport emissions, ATAP could help prevent up to 3.3 million tonnes of carbon emissions in Auckland over the next decade. This is a good first step, but we know we have to do more."
RNZ
