But today, I want to go into one highly consequential moment: Labour's decision at the end of the 2021 refresh to opt for the 'hybrid' tunnelled option. Why? Because I kept hearing – over and over again, and from multiple sources – that this was a sudden switch of direction, away from surface light rail.
That's amazing work Connor! Thanks for doing the research and writing what will be a very interesting book.
I think the TLDR for the whole sorry saga is that we all know now how easily Labour can be bought - it took just six power point slides to destabilise the project and produce a change. That kind of information is damaging to Labour.
Thanks! There's a lot more to it than that though, otherwise we wouldn't continue to fail at building stuff over and over again.
It's important to understand that, broadly speaking, the NZ transport sector lacks a lot of expertise in transit planning (ie how to make a good network and how each mode works esp stuff like light rail), and even this itself doesn't speak to the potential of people in NZ (lots of great smart people).
What it does mean is that while ultimately responsibility will always lie at democratically elected leaders feet, if they are not able to be informed properly then they are are risk of not making the best decisions.
Yes, these different choices happened by Labour Ministers etc, but they happen in that context. If something has political & public support, and a funding opportunity as light rail did it should happen, but in NZ often things don't.
And also, yes, you are correct, there's a pattern of failing to build stuff over and over again. Anyone remember Novopay? Incis?? It's remarkable. We don't learn from past mistakes.
Hopefully you have read "How Big things get done" by Bent Flybvjerg and Dan Gardner. Their lessons will be instructive for how NZ operates in the future.
That's amazing work Connor! Thanks for doing the research and writing what will be a very interesting book.
I think the TLDR for the whole sorry saga is that we all know now how easily Labour can be bought - it took just six power point slides to destabilise the project and produce a change. That kind of information is damaging to Labour.
Thanks! There's a lot more to it than that though, otherwise we wouldn't continue to fail at building stuff over and over again.
It's important to understand that, broadly speaking, the NZ transport sector lacks a lot of expertise in transit planning (ie how to make a good network and how each mode works esp stuff like light rail), and even this itself doesn't speak to the potential of people in NZ (lots of great smart people).
What it does mean is that while ultimately responsibility will always lie at democratically elected leaders feet, if they are not able to be informed properly then they are are risk of not making the best decisions.
Yes, these different choices happened by Labour Ministers etc, but they happen in that context. If something has political & public support, and a funding opportunity as light rail did it should happen, but in NZ often things don't.
And also, yes, you are correct, there's a pattern of failing to build stuff over and over again. Anyone remember Novopay? Incis?? It's remarkable. We don't learn from past mistakes.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/insights-into-incis-debacle/DB3PSWZFGR35VCUKAZFLTE5ARY/
Hopefully you have read "How Big things get done" by Bent Flybvjerg and Dan Gardner. Their lessons will be instructive for how NZ operates in the future.
Great work @Connor Sharp.