Getting Infrastructure Done - Q&A with Jack Tame at Building Nations 2024

[@honewi]

Speaking truth may not be welcome, but it sure as hell is needed. Thanks Brownie.

[@cathybrind2381]

Watching this interview gives me no confidence whatsoever that Auckland's transport /infrastructure problems will be solved in living memory. The comments below do nothing for me either.

[@desmondcrosland7884]

My opinion as a North Shore resident is this. The bridge isn’t the problem. It has 8 lanes. The problem is volume management of the motorway system. Getting on and off the motorway has become the real time user. I think another crossing would require so much roading through suburbs it would quickly become overloaded. The affordable solution is to upgrade the motorway exits to allow continuous flow. As to the bridge, it’s time to think outside the box. Everyone wants to use it. Why not create level 3 lane bridge,10m above sea level, at the base of the bridge on either side that links to already present cycle ways and bus lanes. Have a draw or swivel bridge in the centre span to allow shipping when required, not often btw, and designate 1 lane for cycle/pedestrians, 1 for busses and one for heavy vehicles. With proper management little delays would occur for either marine or land transport. You would then leave barrier in place at 4 lanes each avoiding another expensive delayer of traffic. The key here is it utilises existing motorway routes and allows safe use for both pedestrian and cyclists use. And it keeps it low and flat reducing cost and making it more useable.

[@evelynbruton1805]

One harbour bridge can frequently have up to 4 lanes closed. We need one more bridge withorganised usage for 2 au harbour bridges. 4:08 4:15

[@chilledchadilss4070]

Thank god for this brownie

[@StefanOlson]

Well put! Need a new bridge/motorway for sure

[@josephcooksley3219]

Great work Jack and Wayne 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@nephisto2]

Why not a real public transport network? Reducing the number of cars crossing the bridge at a fair cost feels like good investment.

[@urkput]

A bridge sounds good, can it be designed in a way where it doesn't shut due to high winds.

[@davidthomson692]

Only shuts to keep the cotton wool brigade happy

[@ataxpayer723]

Yes . Its called a tunnel.

[@user-rf9ws7hp3e]

A bridge makes very good economic sense

[@ataxpayer723]

Question: Where will any new bridge start and finish?

[@eighty88eight]

China built Croatian bridge a work of art. They are currently building their largest underwater tunnel (5,755 m) crossing the Yellow River. A phenomenal 16 mth long engineering endeavour

[@fubuseriousgear]

A little CHINAMAN, looking at me telling me. Phew! at least he didn’t said a little oriental looking at me…

[@murray1961]

Love this guy - practical real, man of action! Need to get on and do, it’s not going to be perfect but let’s do something

[@ataxpayer723]

Wayne thinks he knows everything about everything..

[@billhanna5455]

China could have a second Bridge in 18 months at a fixed price , It's a business question , Not a loyalty game .

[@iainseymour-hart3347]

Feasibility Study needs to be done before taking the next step. There are tunnels that can be prefabricated on land and then sunk into place by barge. The sea bed, if flat, would be an ideal situation. The existing bridge could be modified to accommodate cyclists travelling in a tube like structure to shield from inclement weather and high winds.

[@ataxpayer723]

"The existing bridge could be modified to accommodate cyclists travelling in a tube like structure to shield from inclement weather and high winds." What happen at each end of the tube? Is there someone standing there handing out free rain coats to the cyclists?

[@iainseymour-hart3347]

@@ataxpayer723 - I always thought cyclists were water proof? During my cycling days, I wore a Cape with integral hood which kept me dry. I also competed in cycling competitions!

[@Kelvinpaul4]

I'd have to agree, regarding the Parliament legislation criminalizing accidents e.g White Island eruption, where people were prosecuted for not following safety protocols while undertaking rescue attempts. This is why safety is so over the top, too avoid being criminally prosecuted. It's endemic in NZ, costs a fortune and stymies production and innovation. The variable speed limits, achieve nothing, I worked for Auckland Council and I received an email requesting me to explain why I was speeding. Apparently I exceeded the speed limit by 10kms for more than a minute on a country road that was an 80 Kms road and is now is 40kms, why, I don't know, cattle and sheep still travel at the same speed, l was advised if this behavior continued I would need to attend a defensive driving course, 38 years driving and 2 parking tickets, unbelievably ridiculous. Council's bureaucracy is the same as central government, economically expensive and a hand brake on productivity.

[@Rayzajw]

I actually voted against Wayne but i agree with everything he's saying. We might be NZ largest and most important city but the law makers have hamstrung us

[@CaptainKuki]

When opening the first of Auckland's motorways in 1953, he is reported to have said, "My boy, the future of Auckland is with the motor car". - Stan Goosman

[@rp7784]

Everyone at that time has the same mentality, they did not see the consequences of having a transport system solely reliant on cars.

[@alanmacdonald3763]

A tunnel needs no wind warnings !

[@BrettCooper4702]

Because Wayne doesn't know something, nobody knows it...

[@patu5798]

Māori love the gravy waka. Taniwha goes away when you give it a koha $

[@davidthomson692]

It’s hard to get a driving licence, yet you need only the very very basic of driving skills. Drove rnd the South Island recently. Usually I’m in front. But on this trip there was always a car or two infront doing an average 120 kph. No problem 90% of the yellow warning sings on bends are rediculous Coming from the uk I double them and add thirty ( centigrade to Fahrenheit) It’s not a problem Ofcourse south islanders manage without them Teach better driving skills like they do in Finland and leave the cottonwool in the beauty salon Idiots who drive 20-30kph below the posted speed limit should have to re-sit their licence

[@edfast5893]

Bridge is the best option. So that makes it the smart option which means you can add a bus lane and a bike/walk way😊

[@Limit6239]

Or build a tunnel and walk/bike over the existing bridge

[@cruiznnz]

Yeah a bridge makes sense. Yet another structure that if the wind gets up to high it gets closed. I wonder what the costs of having 2 bridges unable to be used will be.

[@michaelroberts6299]

if brownie really worked for us he would open up the books hes a fraudster!

[@Gary-i9f]

Course way ,no bridge .

[@ataxpayer723]

What is a course way. Is it a very rough road?

[@Gary-i9f]

@@ataxpayer723 kunt ,u no wat im mean ....and you will understand every fucking word here also .

[@CaptScrotes]

"we're almost always adjusting to the legislation." my dude just described following the law and not doing crimes 👍

[@lukevanzuilen6848]

He is talking about new legislation that isn't fit for purpose and having to still apply thoughs legislation. Legislation is created though consultation and government.

[@DennisSmyth-j8e]

Tunnels are great if you have a population to support the cost, problem is we don't, surprise surprise.

[@alexn6060]

Thats a far too simplistic view. Tunnels have many benefits, one of which is they're not susceptible to weather events. The harbour bridge closure the other week cost the city an estimated $100m in lost productivity. That adds up. Population actually has very little to do with the comparison as it's already the busiest section of road in the country. Whatever mode they choose will be well utilised, and a massive contributor to city productivity. Basically, it can be well worth extra capital expenditure for a more resilient and long lasting piece of infrastructure.

[@DennisSmyth-j8e]

I get where you are with some of you argument, ive been involved with a lot of the infrastructure in auckland over 20 yrs,, americas cup bases,vic park tunnel, bussway, the cost of tunnels as we all know is well beyond what nz can pay no matter the benefit as we are both sure of the useage factor. If a tunnel was built the rest of the country will have little in the way of new roads for yrs to come. Auckland needs to go up like a lot of cities in nz to avoid coming into town in cars.

[@kiwi2035]

If the Faroe Islands can build tunnels, so can we. But we spend too much money and time on basic things! I’m not right wing, but we need to cut the red tape around infrastructure

[@DennisSmyth-j8e]

Red tape is the killer alright, biggest issue to overcome

[@alexn6060]

@@DennisSmyth-j8e Those sound like some great projects to be involved with! Part of the insane costs of infrastructure here is the ad-hoc planning and delivery, and thats the main reason tunnelling costs so much here, we don't have the talent. Once the CRL completes there's no project pipeline for those people to move to. So all the tunnelling experts from overseas, and the locals who have acquired those skill over the project timeline will be heading offshore to find the next gig. If they had harbour tunnels to move to thats a massive efficiency right there. Agree regarding red tape, but even more important is depoliticising infrastructure. In Auckland's case we should be responsible for planning and creating pipeline, leave meddling politicians from Wellington out of it.

[@adsdft585]

How about a tunnel similar to Demark tunnel to Germany?

[@nztttttt]

That sounds affordable

[@adsdft585]

@nztttttt The method they are using is precast tunnel segments, which lowered into place. A trench is dug, and then segments are landed. Auckland Harbour is not very deep between Takapuna and the Tamaki drive.

[@OMC5428]

@@adsdft585not sure that makes a lot of sense, submerged tunnels don’t mean the seabed gets raised, it’s a trenched solution. Still an expensive exercise though, and we still don’t have the revenue to afford everything that people want to do.

[@OMC5428]

Why not trial free rail and hydrogen or electric buses on the routes from North Shore to city, Westgate to city, East Auckland to City and Pukekohe to city Mr Brown? See if that reduces congestion. Do that for a year. Once people switch modes, you’ve solved one of our biggest problems.

[@OMC5428]

Yep I said FREE

[@NoDrNo]

That would require building rail infrastructure in the North Shore, which would cost billions, as well as the cost taking it across the harbour...Most people from the North Shore would relish having a proper rail connection to the city so they could leave their cars at home....so who is going to pay for it? Your argument about Free public transport shows you have no real understanding of the infrastructure in Auckland...also, one of the arguments against busses on the North Shore is they still have to deal with the bottleneck of the bridge...the northern motorway, connecting with the Southern is the most transited pieces of roads in the country from Trucks, inter-regional travel, and commuters (700,000 of them)

[@ataxpayer723]

@@NoDrNo The Northern Busway has been built so it could be converted into light rail. The double decker buses would then be re-deployed to other busy routes.

[@ataxpayer723]

@@NoDrNo "Most people from the North Shore would relish having a proper rail connection to the city so they could leave their cars at home' HUH. You can already travel from the North Shore to the city using the Northern Busway. Those buses operate every 4 to 5 minutes during the peak. Question: Where would you build the new train stations? Outside your house?

[@lynneades4632]

Interesting topic, but I will not watch that interviewer.

[@DossNZ]

Mayor wouldn't put up with his nonsense.

[@solethesis]

you a bit butthurt there Snowflake?

[@DanielleA2023]

Vote out the right wing