Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown defends his annual $235 million operating cost calculation for the City Rail Link as scepticism arises. 

He told Heather du Plessis-Allan, "most of when you pay your rates, is paying things off. They're not free.

"It's not free to have a road. It's not free to have a train. It's not free to have a bus."

LISTEN ABOVE

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown defends his annual $235 million operating cost calculation for the City Rail Link as scepticism arises.&nbsp;
He told Heather du Plessis-Allan, "most of when you pay your rates, is paying things off. They're not free.
"It's not free to have a road. It's not free to have a train. It's not free to have a bus."
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With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Wayne Brown: Auckland Mayor defends annual $235 million operating cost for City Rail Link

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/3b737f6f-6b3a-4eaf-9d63-b3a70081837b/transcript

Finally, and after a long bloody wait, we've got a date for the opening of Auckland's CRL, the underground train line: September 13.

Actually, the date doesn't really matter. September 6, September 20, September 13, who cares? What matters is that it's opening, it works and it's ready to go.

This thing has been a long time coming. It's taken a decade to build. It's taken so long, and disrupted Auckland commuters and businesses for so long, that it's actually hard to remember a time when they weren't digging up the middle of the city.

I don't know if you realise this but it's actually been talked about for 100 years. Back in the 1920s, it was called the Morningside Deviation. It was supposed to run from Beach Road near Parnell, then go under the CBD, up the hill, with a station at the Auckland Town Hall, before joining the western line at Morningside.

It never happened because, like we always do, we quibbled about costs, worried about spending too much and delayed building a piece of infrastructure that we will never regret.

Ten, 20, 100 years from now, no one's going to remember this debate about spending too much or overbuilding the cathedral ceilings of the CRL. People will simply use it every day. It will be normal.

I don't think it's going too far to say that the CRL is a game changer for our biggest city. Auckland is besieged by traffic snarls. They're so frequent and so bad that I often choose to buy my stuff online rather than drive 10 minutes to a mall because I just can't be bothered with the traffic.

This train line will give people the option to move quickly around the city without having to sit in traffic or risk their lives on a bike. It will definitely, definitely, definitely lead to densification around the city centre as developments spring up near the train stations. It will definitely save people time on their commutes as they travel faster and live closer to where they work.

It actually feels to me a little bit like a coming of age for Auckland. Auckland likes to consider itself a world-class city. If you want to be a world-class city, you need some world-class infrastructure.

So, September 13.

LISTEN ABOVE

Finally, and after a long bloody wait, we've got a date for the opening of Auckland's CRL, the underground train line: September 13.
Actually, the date doesn't really matter. September 6, September 20, September 13, who cares? What matters is that it's opening, it works and it's ready to go.
This thing has been a long time coming. It's taken a decade to build. It's taken so long, and disrupted Auckland commuters and businesses for so long, that it's actually hard to remember a time when they weren't digging up the middle of the city.
I don't know if you realise this but it's actually been talked about for 100 years. Back in the 1920s, it was called the Morningside Deviation. It was supposed to run from Beach Road near Parnell, then go under the CBD, up the hill, with a station at the Auckland Town Hall, before joining the western line at Morningside.
It never happened because, like we always do, we quibbled about costs, worried about spending too much and delayed building a piece of infrastructure that we will never regret.
Ten, 20, 100 years from now, no one's going to remember this debate about spending too much or overbuilding the cathedral ceilings of the CRL. People will simply use it every day. It will be normal.
I don't think it's going too far to say that the CRL is a game changer for our biggest city. Auckland is besieged by traffic snarls. They're so frequent and so bad that I often choose to buy my stuff online rather than drive 10 minutes to a mall because I just can't be bothered with the traffic.
This train line will give people the option to move quickly around the city without having to sit in traffic or risk their lives on a bike. It will definitely, definitely, definitely lead to densification around the city centre as developments spring up near the train stations. It will definitely save people time on their commutes as they travel faster and live closer to where they work.
It actually feels to me a little bit like a coming of age for Auckland. Auckland likes to consider itself a world-class city. If you want to be a world-class city, you need some world-class infrastructure.
So, September 13.
LISTEN ABOVE

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Could the CRL be a game changer for Auckland?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/ac8df58b-33f3-4338-90c3-b4a10046fa33/transcript

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday  7 August.

Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 7 August. 
Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Full Show Podcast: 07 August 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/e52568a5-7268-4580-b2b5-b49f0076b481/transcript

Sports Journalist Nathan Limm and ZB Rugby Commentator Hamish McKay join Heather du Plessis-Allan for the sports huddle. 

On the table today: Joseph Parker has explained what happened between him, his nutritionist and a cocaine test. 

The trio looks at the state of Netball - with international success but domestic uncertainty, are the Silver Ferns actually excited to head back to New Zealand?

And Luke Metcalf has been called up for the Warriors - is he going to make the difference?

LISTEN ABOVE

Sports Journalist Nathan Limm and ZB Rugby Commentator Hamish McKay join Heather du Plessis-Allan for the sports huddle.&nbsp;
On the table today: Joseph Parker has explained what happened between him, his nutritionist and a cocaine test.&nbsp;
The trio looks at the state of Netball - with international success but domestic uncertainty, are the Silver Ferns actually excited to head back to New Zealand?
And Luke Metcalf has been called up for the Warriors - is he going to make the difference?
LISTEN ABOVE

Sports Huddle: Nathan Limm and Hamish McKay

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/0d8abb85-6ede-4830-be03-b49f0064a8f6/transcript

Wayne Brown: Auckland Mayor defends annual $235 million operating cost for City Rail Link

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