Public Transport stories
Councils face tighter rules and faster consents as New Zealand moves to boost housing supply, curb prices and fund infrastructure.
Councils could gain new powers and funding tools as a two-year review seeks to overhaul a system critics say is unfit for today’s demands.
Schoolchildren in Drury are cycling to class for the first time after a privately funded 9km path network separated them from heavy traffic.
Early clarity on route, funding and delivery could determine whether Auckland’s light rail eases congestion and unlocks more affordable homes.
Auckland developers are finding stronger demand and easier consents as housing shortages, low rates and relaxed zoning reshape the market.
Wellington has cut net emissions by 7% in 20 years despite 26% growth, as EV chargers and car share schemes reshape transport.
Despite a $31 billion investment, Aucklanders are being warned motorway queues and emissions will still rise under the transport plan.
Barcelona-style green zones could cut pollution and boost health after Covid-19, but risks of gentrification and cost remain.
The revived plan could ease congestion and cut emissions, but only if planners avoid the delays and cost overruns that sank Sydney’s project.
Affordability is worsening for first-time buyers as house prices outpace incomes, deepening the housing divide and fuelling political pressure.
Congestion could ease by up to 12% on Auckland's roads under a phased tolling scheme, according to a Ministry of Transport report.
Temporary speed limits will apply as the Christchurch Northern Corridor opens partly ahead of full use in mid December.
Australia’s recovery risks being blunted unless governments shift spending towards social infrastructure, housing and renewable energy.
Albany has become Auckland’s top apartment market, with suburban projects taking more than two-thirds of sales as CBD demand slumps.
A new report warns rising temperatures, melting glaciers and sea levels could reshape the country unless emissions fall quickly.
Auckland faces heavier truck delays and rising costs unless ministers urgently assess whether a new harbour crossing is needed by 2030.
A Victorian train order is expected to protect 100 manufacturing jobs and bolster calls for a national rail procurement framework.
Such partnerships could help regions fund long-term projects, curb political meddling and ease New Zealand’s housing, transport and water strains.
Funding will still fall short of fixing decades of underinvestment, with experts warning roads and rail need more to meet safety and climate goals.
Cities with lower poverty and stronger infrastructure are likelier to attract workers and firms as pandemic-era habits reshape where people live and invest.
