Christopher Bishop

Fast Track really delivering. 23 projects now approved including two more this week. A 4th renewable energy project has just been approved (reconsent of Kaimai Hydro). #jobsandgrowth

This is the single most shocking testimony I have ever seen.  Even more shocking is that so many people that I (& probably you) know decided on that day that the people behind this perversion deserved their active public support. It is hard to have any faith in humanity when we see how easily large groups of people can be manipulated into supporting activities too cruel and disgusting even for the devil. And not because they understand it, but simply because they see that as the fashionable position to take.

@NickLittleNZ Yes we are in the middle of doing just that.

@cjsbishop You need to make a decision. You need a plan. You need to start work. Otherwise, when the bridge fails Auckland will be screwed. This has been kicked down the road for decades and now time has run out. nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland/br…

Heritage Impact Report is the biggest grift here. An insight into why infrastructure costs so much is the accretion of luxury advice taking resources away from actual construction

Gosh this is good. Thank you @spectator

@EricCrampton @ponekeben a few issues here

@EricCrampton But Eric there were ‘complexities’ which means they a) couldn’t process the application and b) even be bothered to provide a response to media query

"After an anonymous social media post, the trio received multiple objections to their application, pushing the process out for another year." "Luckily, all three had other full-time jobs, which allowed them to survive the last year's financially."

Genuinely impressive that - post Unitary Plan - Auckland can still pick up construction in bad macroeconomic conditions. Even the trough is higher than any points pre Unitary Plan

Labour needs to pick a lane on school attendance. On truancy prosecutions, Chris Hipkins told Herald Now that “I support the government’s emphasis on that prosecution." Education Spokesperson Ginny Andersen completely undermined Hipkins, telling Newsroom "[For Labour], prosecuting parents as a way to tackle attendance is therefore out of the question." Same party, same week, opposite positions. It's no wonder Labour can't release any policy. They can't even agree the basics between themselves, let alone deliver the future our children deserve. While Labour argues with itself, National is getting kids back in class.

Two new school bike tracks in the Hutt opened today - Boulcott and Konini Primary. Great to see Bikes in Schools expanding.

Our infrastructure system is underperforming. Today I announced five changes to help Ministers make better decisions about how we plan, fund, and deliver infrastructure. thepost.co.nz/politics/36099…

@_ConnorSharp For Crown-funded ones yes.

I presume this applies to the RoNS @cjsbishop ?thepost.co.nz/politics/36099…

@curdledSoy Indeed.

should’ve standardised concessions nation wide instead of this mess which led to massive cost creep

@roonsopo Mix of capex to replaced aging systems and opex over 10 years.

@cjsbishop Why make it so difficult? Sydney- 60 yrs plus gold Opal card $2.50 max daily spend for unlimited travel Sydney- has a cap on use, after $50 for the week all other trips are free. This encourages people to use PT . But some how we are spending a billion over 14 years ??

Why can't NZ do something as simple as a tag on tag system ? Its been elsewhere for decades but NZ can't do anything without massive cost overruns

19th Fast Track project approved and 7th housing one. The Ashbourne project enables 518 new homes, a neighbourhood centre, shared walking and cycling paths, two solar farms, and water servicing infrastructure. ✅

Once it is rolled out everyone taking public transport will be able to tap on and off using either a Motu Move card (anywhere in the country), a credit card, a smartwatch, or a phone AND concessions (like discounts for young people etc) will be loaded too.

The new National Ticketing System has been a problematic project and very frustrating for the Government. Today we reached a major milestone - one million contactless payments have been made using Motu Move in Greater Christchurch, including 200,000 unique cards or devices.

Looks like March was a busy month for first-home buyers in New Zealand.

New data from @MBIEgovtnz shows average rents for new private tenancies in New Zealand were down 2.1% in February compared with Feb 2024 - the largest two-year fall in 26 years. Rents fell 5.4% from two years earlier in the Wellington region.