Aotearoa has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help solve climate change while creating more vibrant, attractive places to live that are accessible for everyone.
Successive governments have spent too much on expensive motorways and underinvested in low-carbon transport infrastructure. This approach caused congestion, environmental harm, and has made it expensive and hard for people to get around.
The Green Party is the only political party that will stop building unnecessary motorways that create urban sprawl and confine people to polluting cars. In Government, we’ve reprioritised low carbon options in transport planning.
In the recent New Zealand Upgrade Programme, we negotiated $1.6 billion for sustainable transport, cycling, and walking infrastructure. We’ve secured funding for iconic projects like the SkyPath over the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
Aotearoa is beginning to move to a cleaner, less-congested transport system, but we need to go further and faster.
The Green Party will:
- Connect our cities and provincial towns with fast, modern passenger rail.
- Commit to a ten-year programme to upgrade intercity and regional rail, including fast, electric passenger and freight trains, connecting major towns and cities.
- Make buses, ferries, and trains frequent and affordable, and build new, rapid bus and train services in our major cities to avoid traffic and make it faster to get around.
- Design people-friendly streets that are safer for walking and cycling, particularly around schools.
- Expand electric vehicle charging stations across Aotearoa.
- Introduce fuel efficiency standards for cars and a clean car discount to make electric cars cheaper and reduce pollution.
- Make our supply chains carbon neutral by moving more freight on rail and incentivising zero emission fuels for heavy vehicles, including hydrogen and biofuels.