$228 million for zero metres

The Herald reports:

The government has officially cancelled Auckland’s light rail project, fulfilling a campaign 100-day plan promise to use the funds for different transportation projects.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown said the project would have cost taxpayers $15 billion, with advice showing the cost could increase to $29.2 billion.

“The previous government committed to building light rail to Mt Roskill within four years of being elected,” Brown said.

“After six years and over $228 million spent on the project, not a single metre of track has been delivered and congestion has only worsened in the city.

Arguably this was Labour’s biggest failure, even larger than Kiwibuild. It was Jacinda’s first promise – light rail would be up and going by the end of 2021. Instead they spent $228 million on consultants, which is a staggering amount. If you assume $2,000 a day consultancy rate then they paid for 114,000 days of consultants.

There was a real cost to all this. The western busway was done for $100 million. All that money wasted for nothing.