Backwards- if you want to cover areas your network needs to be the size to cover it. Its much more comparatively expensive when you have 3 people riding each route rather than 18.
You’re correct on main lines, however you can also run larger busses.
I didn’t say I don’t consider roads as critical infrastucture, I specifically said “mega roads”, i.e new multi lane motorways that are a waste of money because they will encourage more driving, more sprawl and make traffic even worse in the long run (and I imagine local roads will deteriorate as they did the last time this happened).
Unfortunately the time to deal with the alternative here was 30 years ago. We aren’t a 15 min city (none if them are) and changing this will take decades.
Three waters, the ferries, state housing, public transport are all better options right now that are woefully underfunded and in fact actively sabotaged by this govt.
Agreed, moving on.
The “we don’t have the density” argument is often pulled out against funding public transport and it’s unfounded. We’re one of the most urbanised countries in the world. We could absolutely build more PT if we chose to, we’ve had far more extensive networks in the past than what we currently do.
Sydney has 6 million people compared to Auckland 1.2., Melbourne 5 with similar land area. If you look at % then yes, look at people per sqkm we are no where close.
Overall, saying what’s happening is a symptom is just an attempt to claim what’s happening right now is inevitable imo. Different choices can be made that would be far less damaging, they’d be positive even and actually address the underlying problems you highlight instead of this “better things aren’t possible” fatalism.
Yes, better choices can be made, they will improve the country in the long run, but people struggling now get to vote. Balanced books get votes on confidence, ease of lifestyle and business as usual get votes, getting kicked out if my car and more regulations lose elections.
A low GDP per capita economy
Still higher than some countries who manage much more. We beat Korea, Japan, Spain, hell, we edge out France.
My numbers are a bit outdated (pre covid), I thought NZ was around 80k, France sat closer to 1.2 million.
Interesting point - you also picked countries with significantly higher population in close proximity to major trade routes and markets.
significant logistics chains and costs
Good thing we are getting some new Toyota Carolla Ferrys to help make those logistic chains better!
Its a shame they love to drag the chain, so to speak…
low nation ownership of productive assets and banks
The same party that is now claiming we need austerity, also sold of several of those productive assets.
Oh, make no mistake im not supporting national in any of this. Just stating the issue and where the country is.
lack of economies of scale from infrastructure spread over a wide area with low population
Fair. I think most of our main infra is pretty consolidated, but a large portion of our economy is based on farming, which by it’s very nature, is spread out.
Agreed- unfortunately low value bulky goods that fetch global price means it sucks for us consumers.
surprisingly lack of accountability for project over runs…
On this we agree. I also think that cancelling good projects, simply because it’s the “other sides” project, should also have accountability.
Couldn’t agree more. 4 year election cycle, cut the crap and let’s get this country better.
Well, guess I’m failing next semester at uni now too
Except the austerity measures started when Labour was in. Admittedly not to that level, but they were aware of the issues that national took and run with.
Fully agree the landlord one is bullshit, but I find it interesting you don’t consider roads critical infrastructure, especially considering we are still diffused throughout the country and don’t have the density for lots of mass transit.
Finally, everything you have said is a symptom, not the underlying cause - you’ve told me Nat is cutting costs on key areas (yes), but you asked why it happened in the first place. Its the country wide symptoms I mentioned, and these can’t be fixed in 3 years no matter who is in.
Ooo, I got quite good at this game. Let’s see…
A low GDP per capita economy, significant logistics chains and costs, low nation ownership of productive assets and banks, lack of economies of scale from infrastructure spread over a wide area with low population, surprisingly lack of accountability for project over runs…
And yes, class divide which funnels money upwards rather than reaching investment in the country.
Howd I do?
And taught the most important lesson ever.
Don’t fuck with Americas boats
The significant austerity measures around the country strongly disagree with you.
Auckland just canceled a significant number of its infrastructure projects, and the regional fuel tax along with significant cuts in maintenance - 30% reduction last I heard
Hamilton is nearly being mothballed to save money.
No idea about other major centers.
The unfortunate thing is the country is running out of money, and unlike much of the world we haven’t had massive natural resources we exploited in the industrial revolution to build our country wealth.
Do we like it- no. But were also a country of 5 million that sells low value goods and are a tiny % of global co2. Our country is less than 200 years old, at the end of global logistics chains, with an area that (from the top of my head) would reach from Denmark to Spain.
I’ve got a wet bus ticket if the legal system wants to borrow it.
You forgot “this is what hard-core Christians believe, this is where it contradicts itself, here are the 10 commandments including love thy neighbor and don’t worship false idols”.
(Completely different country here, no present risk.) The unfortunate reality for me is that I have three kids who might be called up if the shit hits the fan, and I’ve had 30 odd years longer on this planet.
If its not me, it’s my kids.
Absolutely, they are all stacked together.
Or a turd sandwich in which the bread is a bit old and causes issues in other countries.
Heh. Taint.
You forgot how many people would bitch their small size in a medium container wasn’t filled properly.
Well its not a millennial because its got its own house.
Must be a boomer
You would hope that it would be diluted by each raindrop that brings it back and its distribution over a wide area, but hope isn’t much to go on.
I went of treaty of Waitangi, like how America was “founded” at the declaration of independence.
Flipside, I cant exactly say us Maori were developing a strong road network, industrial base and civil structures now can I?