Auckland CBD rail loop jumps another $1 billion

The Herald reports:

The cost of Auckland’s City Rail Link project has soared by more than $1 billion.
The new cost “envelope” of $4.419b has been unveiled today along with the announcement of the successful bidder to build the bulk of the 3.4km underground railway, which will run from Britomart Station to Mt Eden Station by 2024.
The successful bidder is a consortium comprising Sydney-based Downer, two subsidiaries of the Paris-based Vinci Group, the global Los Angeles-based Aecom engineering group and Auckland-based Tonkin and Taylor.
CRL Ltd’s (CRLL) Chief Executive, Dr Sean Sweeney, said that after a rigorous and comprehensive review of project costs, a revised cost envelope had been submitted to the project’s sponsors – the Crown and Auckland Council – for approval.

“The $1 billion cost increase on the previous $3.4 billion estimate made in 2014 reflects significant changes impacting the project in the past five years.
“No-one could have foreseen the competitive pressures that have occurred in the construction industry over the past few years and the impact that has on costs, particularly for a project the scale and complexity of the City Rail Link.”

Of course it could have been foreseen. It is hardly a surprise.

Sweeney refused to guarantee that the project would be completed on time by 2024.

So no guarantee on costs or on time.

Goff said it was unfair for Aucklanders to meet half the cost of the CRL when no other part of the country had to do so.

Why is it unfair? People in Invercargill are already paying half the cost. Why should they pay 75%?

Anyway the original cost was forecast to be $2.5 billion. I reckon there is a fair chance it ends up at double that.