Estimates of appropriations

Vote Transport - Economic Development and Infrastructure Sector - Estimates 2017/18

Formats and related files

Vote Transport#

APPROPRIATION MINISTER(S): Minister of Transport (M72)

APPROPRIATION ADMINISTRATOR: Ministry of Transport

RESPONSIBLE MINISTER FOR MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT: Minister of Transport

Overview of the Vote#

Vote Transport encompasses the funding of the road, rail, aviation and maritime transport modes. The major entities involved are the Ministry of Transport, the New Zealand Transport Agency and KiwiRail, as well as the other transport Crown entities, the Civil Aviation Authority (incorporating the Aviation Security Service), Maritime New Zealand and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission.

Road

The largest element of the Vote is the funding for roading ($4,259 million or 81% of the total Vote). This is primarily the funding for the National Land Transport Programme which is funded from road tax revenue collected by the Crown ($3,226 million or 61% of the Vote).

$616 million of the balance (12%) relates to loans from the Crown:

  • $500 million for cash flow management. This appropriation does not take account of any repayments made and the facility may not exceed $250 million at any one time, and
  • $116 million for projects in the Auckland Transport Package.

The balance of funding for roading is provided by the Crown for specific projects. In 2017/18 this includes $325 million for the reinstatement of State Highway 1 between Picton and Christchurch, $36 million for Regional State Highways and $55 million for Urban Cycleways.

Rail

Crown funding for Rail makes up 16.4% of the Vote - $861 million, mainly:

  • $436 million for the Crown's share of costs for the Auckland City Rail Link
  • $220 million equity investment to finance capital expenditure on the national freight network
  • $163 million to roll over an existing loan from the Crown to KiwiRail. An appropriation is required for this transaction
  • $26 million for metro rail projects in Wellington
  • $12 million from property transactions by New Zealand Railways Corporation, reinvested in KiwiRail Holdings Limited, and
  • $4 million for public policy projects and rail safety.
Crown Entity and Other Funding

The balance of the Vote ($137 million) is mainly split between:

  • $37 million for the Ministry of Transport as departmental funding
  • $39 million for Crown entities for outputs. The transport Crown entities receive most of their funding from third party fees and charges
  • $29 million for SuperGold Card public transport concessions, and
  • $23 million for weather forecasting services from the Meteorological Service of New Zealand.

Details of these appropriations are set out in Parts 2-4.