Climate change: Auckland Transport argues plan lawful despite emission rise
Aucklands 10-year transport plan is legal despite its investments forecast to boost carbon emissions being in conflict with other policies and goals, the council and its transport agency have told the High Court. Auckland Transport (AT), the council and the Regional Transport Committee said the $37 billion plan was in line with statutory requirements, in arguments during a judicial review sought by climate activists . The All Aboard Aotearoa coalition sought the judicial review of the carbon-boosting Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) as other council and government plans call for a halving of emissions by 2030 . Aucklands 2019 Climate Action Plan said transport emissions in the city need to be cut by 64 per cent, but the spending within the RLTP is forecast to boost emissions by 6 per cent. READ MORE: * Legal challenge to emissions-boosting Auckland transport plan begins * Climate change: Auckland Council struggling to spend action budget * Auckland transport plan tweaked but carbon emissions barely fall The lawyer for AT, Victoria Heine QC agreed with All Aboards argument about the need for climate action. There is no dispute climate change is one of the most significant issues the world is facing, Heine told the High Court in Auckland. She agreed urgent measures were needed to cut emissions, and transport emissions in particular. However, ATs argument is effectively that the RLTP itself, reviewed three-yearly, is just one piece in a jigsaw puzzle of interlocking transport legislation and funding steps. All Aboards Davey Salmon QC had told the court that the overarching Government Policy Statement on transport, (GPS) required a transition to a low-emissions transport sector. Heine said the GPS only applies direction and guidance to the funding processes, and the RLTP was just one of similar funding bids from around the country, to the governments transport agency Waka Kotahi. The RLTP had other requirements alongside the consideration of lowering emissions, and it cant be reduced to a sole focus on climate change and greenhouse gas reduction, she told the court. In an affidavit, ATs chair Adrienne Young-Cooper said the current RLTP went as far as it could within assumptions made at the time and the resources available. The next RLTP will have to do more to address the decarbonisation of the Auckland transport system. Young-Cooper said the governments Emissions Reduction Plan due by the end of May will provide direction to flow through to the next GPS in 2024. The RLTP was and is one step towards reducing emissions in a highly constrained setting, she said. All Aboard said all three parties which approved the plan had been wrongly advised about the possibility to make changes, and is asking the court to require a new RLTP to be created. AT and the council said advice had been correct, and if the court found the RLTP to be unlawful, it could be modified, and that setting it aside completely could have potentially significant consequences for transport planning and funding. Heine said AT, if found to be wrong, should be given an indication where the board, or the Regional Transport Committee went wrong, so they would have guidance. Separately to the judicial review, Auckland Transport has flagged a possible revision of the RLTP due to a funding squeeze . Justice Venning has reserved his decision.