The Government needs to come clean on the full cost of the Auckland light rail plan, with their indicative business case for the project suggesting the cost could blow out by another $10 billion, National’s Transport spokesperson Simeon Brown says.

“Hidden within the indicative business case is a suggestion that there is a 50 per cent chance of the cost increasing by $10 billion, above the $14.6 billion announced by the Government – putting the total cost at $24 billion.

“At almost $15 billion, the project would cost $8,000 per household in New Zealand and this report indicates that the per household cost could become much higher.

“This is yet another example wasteful spending from this Labour Government – this time for a vanity project that doesn’t stack up in the first place.

“Kiwi families are already struggling with cost of living crisis, whether it’s at the dairy or at the pump, and skyrocketing rents.

“This Government needs to reign in its spending before it makes the cost of living crisis worse.

“Be open and transparent about the cost of this project so that New Zealanders know how much they might be forced to contribute.”