114-500: The City Rail Link ( CRL ) is a rail project currently under construction in Auckland , New Zealand. The project consists of a 3.5 km (2.2 mi) long double-track rail tunnel underneath Auckland's city centre, between Waitematā (Britomart) and Maungawhau (Mount Eden) railway stations. Two new underground stations will be constructed to serve the city centre : Te Waihorotiu near Aotea Square and Karanga-a-Hape near Karangahape Road . Waitematā will be converted from
228-518: A 3.5 km (2.2 mi) tunnel between Britomart and Mount Eden, beneath Albert Street and including underground stations near Wellesley Street and Karangahape Road, with the Wellesley Street station, 18 m (59 ft 1 in) under the surface, potentially being larger and seeing more passengers than Britomart (projections of up to 7,700 per peak hour). By October 2008 ONTRACK said that it had reached an agreement in principle with
342-558: A Hape' be accepted, and altered to 'Karanga-a-Hape' in keeping with national and te reo Māori orthographic standards; that the unofficial name 'Mount Eden' be discarded, and replaced by an official dual name, 'Maungawhau / Mount Eden'. In March 2023, the NZGB announced the decisions made by the Minister for Land Information Damien O'Connor . Te Wai Horotiu and Karanga a Hape were changed to Te Waihorotiu and Karanga-a-Hape respectively, as per
456-502: A bachelor's or higher degree, 464,022 (41.0%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 298,851 (26.4%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $ 44,600, compared with $ 41,500 nationally. 160,164 people (14.2%) earned over $ 100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 605,601 (53.5%) people were employed full-time, 132,180 (11.7%) were part-time, and 39,441 (3.5%) were unemployed. Many ethnic groups , since
570-528: A decision was made to lengthen the platforms so as to incorporate the Beresford Square entrance from the outset. Demolition of buildings on Mercury Lane began on 4 November 2019. Demolition at this site will be done in two phases, with completion expected in April 2020. Demolition of buildings at the Beresford Square site was expected to take three years. In October 2019, demolition of 30 buildings in
684-602: A gift of fifteen works of art by New York art collectors and philanthropists Julian and Josie Robertson – including well-known paintings by Paul Cézanne , Pablo Picasso , Henri Matisse , Paul Gauguin and Piet Mondrian . This is the largest gift ever made to an art museum in Australasia. Other important art galleries include Mangere Arts Centre , Tautai Pacific Arts Trust , Te Tuhi , Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery , Gow Langsford Gallery , Michael Lett Gallery, Starkwhite, and Bergman Gallery . Auckland Domain
798-479: A ground option as well. In 2004, Auckland City Council prepared preliminary plans for an underground railway connecting Britomart Transport Centre to the Western Line in the vicinity of Mount Eden railway station and incorporating three new stations: near Aotea Square, Karangahape Road and the top of Symonds Street. The project would bring most of the city centre within a short walk of a station and increase
912-511: A loop connecting with Newmarket as part of a major rapid transit scheme proposed by Dove-Myer Robinson , mayor of Auckland City at the time. Two main stations were proposed: one downtown in the vicinity of the Queen Street / Shortland Street intersection, and a second midtown between Queen St and Mayoral Drive, about halfway between Aotea Square and Albert Park. A third city station was to be built at Karangahape Rd, but this would have been
1026-472: A period of two years with several intersections along the street being closed for up to 18 months. The Department of Corrections also expressed concern that grade-separating the Normanby Road level crossing (as part of the cut and cover works at the southern end of the project) would cut off access to Mount Eden Prisons . On 7 April 2015, two construction consortia were awarded the contracts to start
1140-614: A population of 1,402,275 in the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 56,442 people (4.2%) since the 2018 census , and an increase of 178,734 people (14.6%) since the 2013 census . There were 692,490 males, 704,607 females and 5,178 people of other genders in 454,239 dwellings. 4.9% of people identified as LGBTIQ+ . The median age was 35.1 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 270,384 people (19.3%) aged under 15 years, 307,065 (21.9%) aged 15 to 29, 651,645 (46.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 173,178 (12.3%) aged 65 or older. Of those at least 15 years old, 290,814 (25.7%) people had
1254-487: A revised business case, requested by the government. In July 2012, as part of the works around designating the route, Auckland Council released footprints for four stations. This included designation space for a not previously considered station on the current Western Line, just west of Dominion Road. This station would serve as an interchange station for passengers wanting to travel east in the Newmarket direction, in case
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#17327826049151368-581: A stop on the western line only. The plan was undermined by Council staff, criticised by academics and opposed by the New Zealand Town Planning Institute, before finally being rejected in 1976 by the Muldoon National government, which considered it to be too costly. An alternative plan was put forward by Auckland City Council planners in 1979, involving an overhead railway from the then Beach Road railway station to
1482-531: A strong boost to local commerce. This, and continued road building towards the south into the Waikato region, enabled Pākehā (European New Zealanders) influence to spread from Auckland. The city's population grew fairly rapidly, from 1,500 in 1841 to 3,635 in 1845, then to 12,423 by 1864. The growth occurred similarly to other mercantile -dominated cities, mainly around the port and with problems of overcrowding and pollution. Auckland's population of ex-soldiers
1596-498: A terminus station into a through station, and Mount Eden station will be replaced by Maungawhau station, a new station with four platforms to serve as an interchange between the new CRL line and the existing Western Line . The current project is an adapted version of previous proposals to improve rail access to Auckland's city centre with the first proposals dating back to the 1920s. The increase in rail patronage in Auckland during
1710-632: A timeframe of weeks to years before cessation of activity. Future eruptive activity remains a threat to the city, and will likely occur at a new, unknown location within the field. The most recent activity occurred approximately 1450 AD at the Rangitoto Volcano . This event was witnessed by Māori occupants of the area, making it the only eruption within the Auckland Volcanic Field thus far to have been observed by humans. The Auckland Volcanic Field has contributed greatly to
1824-1040: A variety of cultural institutions, such as the Auckland War Memorial Museum , the Museum of Transport and Technology , and the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki . Its architectural landmarks include the Harbour Bridge , the Town Hall , the Ferry Building and the Sky Tower , which is the second-tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere after Thamrin Nine . The city is served by Auckland Airport , which handled 18.5 million passengers in 2024. Auckland
1938-768: Is 34.0 °C (93.2 °F) on 12 February 2009, while the minimum is −5.7 °C (21.7 °F) recorded at Riverhead Forest in June 1936 Snowfall is extremely rare: the most significant fall since the start of the 20th century was on 27 July 1939, when snow fell just before dawn and five centimetres (2 in) of snow reportedly lay on Mount Eden . Snowflakes were also seen on 28 July 1930 and 15 August 2011. Frosts in Auckland are infrequent and often localised. Henderson Riverpark receives an annual average of 27.4 ground frosts per year, while Auckland Airport receives an annual average of 8.7 ground frosts per year. Average sea temperature around Auckland varies throughout
2052-530: Is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand . It has an urban population of about 1,531,400 (June 2024). It is located in the greater Auckland Region , the area governed by Auckland Council , which includes outlying rural areas and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf , and which has a total population of 1,798,300 as of June 2024. It is the most populous city of New Zealand and
2166-481: Is assumed for the benefit calculation. In this regard, Council experts have highlighted that NZ calculation methods use a 30-year cut-off (i.e. for evaluation purposes, the tunnel provides no benefit after 30 years, even though much of Auckland's earlier rail and road infrastructure already serves for much longer than that). In comparison, if using evaluation periods of 50 years (used in Australia), or 60 years (used in
2280-477: Is defined by Statistics New Zealand under the Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018 (SSGA18), spans 607.07 square kilometres (234.39 sq mi) and extends to Long Bay in the north, Swanson in the north-west, and Runciman in the south. Auckland's functional urban area (commuting zone) extends from just south of Warkworth in the north to Meremere in the south, incorporating
2394-689: Is expected that 2 million tonnes of spoil will be dug out from 2020 and it has been proposed to use it to double the single track section of the North Island Main Trunk line across Whangamarino wetland . Some landowners around Albert Street, including the Ministry of Justice which owns and operates the Auckland District Court on Albert Street, expressed concern that construction of the cut and cover tunnel would disrupt foot and vehicular traffic along Albert Street over
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#17327826049152508-555: Is fed entirely by basaltic magma sourced from the mantle at a depth of 70–90 km below the city, and is unrelated to the explosive, subduction -driven volcanism of the Taupō Volcanic Zone in the Central North Island region of Aotearoa, New Zealand, ~250 km away. The Auckland Volcanic Field is considered to be a monogenetic volcanic field , with each volcano erupting only a single time, usually over
2622-625: Is home to several notable yacht clubs and marinas, including the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Westhaven Marina , the largest of the Southern Hemisphere . The Waitematā Harbour has several swimming beaches, including Mission Bay and Kohimarama on the south side of the harbour, and Stanley Bay on the north side. On the eastern coastline of the North Shore, where the Rangitoto Channel divides
2736-518: Is one of the largest parks in the city, it is close to the Auckland CBD and has a good view of the Hauraki Gulf and Rangitoto Island . Smaller parks close to the city centre are Albert Park , Myers Park , Western Park and Victoria Park . While most volcanic cones in the Auckland volcanic field have been affected by quarrying, many of the remaining cones are now within parks, and retain
2850-480: Is one of the world's most liveable cities in the world, ranking third in the 2023 Mercer Quality of Living Survey and at ninth place in a 2024 ranking of the Global Liveability Ranking by The Economist . The Auckland isthmus was settled by Māori around 1350, and was valued for its rich and fertile land. Many pā (fortified villages) were created, mainly on the volcanic peaks. By
2964-448: Is set to grow to an estimated 1.9 million inhabitants by 2031 in a medium-variant scenario. This substantial increase in population will have a huge impact on transport, housing and other infrastructure that are, particularly in the case of housing, that are considered to be under pressure already. The high-variant scenario shows the region's population growing to over two million by 2031. In July 2016, Auckland Council released, as
3078-582: The Auckland Province until the provincial system was abolished in 1876. In response to the ongoing rebellion by Hōne Heke in the mid-1840s, the government encouraged retired but fit British soldiers and their families to migrate to Auckland to form a defence line around the port settlement as garrison soldiers. By the time the first Fencibles arrived in 1848, the Northern War had concluded. Outlying defensive towns were then constructed to
3192-463: The Auckland Region , an administrative region that takes its name from the city. The region encompasses the city centre, as well as suburbs, surrounding towns, nearshore islands, and rural areas north and south of the urban area. The Auckland central business district is the most built-up area of the region. The CBD covers 433 hectares (1,070 acres) in a triangular area, and is bounded by
3306-549: The Auckland waterfront on the Waitematā Harbour and the inner-city suburbs of Ponsonby , Newton and Parnell . The central areas of the city are located on the Auckland isthmus , less than two kilometres wide at its narrowest point, between Māngere Inlet and the Tamaki River . There are two harbours surrounding this isthmus: Waitematā Harbour to the north, which extends east to the Hauraki Gulf and thence to
3420-598: The Crown and the Church . Soon after signing the treaty, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei made a strategic gift of 3,500 acres (1,400 ha) of land on the Waitematā Harbour to the new Governor of New Zealand, William Hobson , for the new capital , which Hobson named for George Eden, Earl of Auckland , then Viceroy of India . Auckland was founded on 18 September 1840 and was officially declared New Zealand's capital in 1841, and
3534-530: The Department of Conservation , and the Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau Authority . The Auckland urban area, as defined by Statistics New Zealand, covers 605.67 km (233.85 sq mi). The urban area has an estimated population of 1,531,400 as of June 2024, 28.7 percent of New Zealand's population . The city has a population larger than the entire South Island (1,260,000). The urban area had
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3648-532: The Hibiscus Coast in the northeast, Helensville , Parakai , Muriwai , Waimauku , Kumeū - Huapai , and Riverhead in the northwest, Beachlands-Pine Harbour and Maraetai in the east, and Pukekohe , Clarks Beach , Patumāhoe , Waiuku , Tuakau and Pōkeno (the latter two in the Waikato region) in the south. Auckland forms New Zealand's largest urban area . The Auckland urban area lies within
3762-766: The Khyber Pass Road /Newton Rd intersection and the New North Rd/Mt Eden Rd intersection), at an estimated cost range of $ 1 billion to $ 1.5 billion. In May 2011 the Government noted that after reviewing an initial business case for the project, it was unconvinced of the economic benefits of the tunnel. Minister of Transport Steven Joyce noted that he would not stand in the way of Auckland continuing planning and route designation work – if Auckland paid for it. In June 2011 Auckland Council voted to approve $ 2 million for planning and route protection for
3876-644: The Mount Eden railway station to central Auckland as part of the City Rail Link. The TBM was named after Māori leader Dame Whina Cooper . On 14 September 2022 the TBM Dame Whina Cooper broke through into the station box of Te Waihorotiu Station, completing the second of the two tunnels needed for the project. Tracklaying was then commenced by Martinus Rail , who use battery-electric locomotives based at Quay Park junction. In 2023, it
3990-551: The New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa (NZGB) for recognition. In August 2022, the Board returned the following verdicts: that the unofficial name 'Britomart' be altered to a new official name, 'Waitematā'; that the suggestion of 'Te Wai Horotiu' be accepted, and altered to 'Te Waihorotiu' in keeping with national and te reo Māori orthographic standards; that the suggestion of 'Karanga
4104-565: The Newmarket Line and CRL, doubling back upon itself as far as Ōtāhuhu station . The Onehunga Line ceases to run into the city, instead heading west from Newmarket as a crosstown line. The 'Onehunga and Western Line' will initially terminate at Maungawhau/Mt Eden station , before being extended to Henderson at an undisclosed future date. A Southern Express service to Pukekohe via the Eastern line may also operate. This operating pattern
4218-698: The Trewartha climate classification and according to the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), the city's climate is classified as humid subtropical climate with warm summers and mild winters (Trewartha climate classification Cfbl ). It is the warmest main centre of New Zealand. The average daily maximum temperature is 23.7 °C (74.7 °F) in February and 14.7 °C (58.5 °F) in July. The maximum recorded temperature
4332-672: The Whau local board area. Europeans formed the plurality in the Henderson-Massey , Maungakiekie-Tāmaki and Papakura local board areas, and formed the majority in the remaining 11 local board areas. Māori did not form a majority or plurality in any local board area but are in the highest concentrations in the Manurewa and Papakura local board areas. Immigration to New Zealand is heavily concentrated towards Auckland (partly for job market reasons). This strong focus on Auckland has led
4446-572: The cut-and-cover method, 15 metres (49 ft) deep under Albert Street. As originally planned, it will be 300 metres (980 ft) long and run between Victoria Street and Wellesley Street. This station will be 32 metres (105 ft) underground. Original plans were for platforms 150 metres (490 ft) long. There will be an entrance on Mercury Lane, with early plans making provision for an entrance that would be added later on Beresford Square. Assessments of passenger numbers in 2018 indicated that longer trains and platforms would be needed earlier, and
4560-486: The fifth largest city in Oceania. While Europeans continue to make up the plurality of Auckland's population, the city became multicultural and cosmopolitan in the late-20th century, with Asians accounting for 34.9% of the city's population in 2023. Auckland has the fourth largest foreign-born population in the world, with 39% of its residents born overseas. With its sizable population of Pasifika New Zealanders ,
4674-613: The "low hundreds of millions" and would prevent a costly future two-year closure if the platform lengthening retrofitting work was carried out after the CRL was opened. In May 2022, the stations were gifted names by the CRL Mana Whenua Forum. These reflected the area's Māori history: Waitematā for Britomart, Te Wai Horotiu for Aotea, Karanga a Hape for Karangahape, and Maungawhau for Mt. Eden. Together with Auckland Transport, City Rail Link Ltd submitted these suggested names to
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4788-423: The 'Morningside Tunnel' or the 'Morningside Deviation', after the proposed southern portal location – would cost approximately £1 million, with another £1 million required for the electrification of the network. He expressed doubts that the tunnel would ever pay purely from a rail point of view, though he acknowledged that there might be other benefits and wider aspects to take into account. The 1970s plans envisaged
4902-555: The 10-year anniversary of the opening of the Britomart Transport Centre , it was announced that Auckland Council and the new owners of the Downtown Shopping Centre had agreed to discuss building a section of tunnel under the mall during a redevelopment planned for 2016–17. The section would be up to 100 metres long. On 1 August 2014, Auckland Transport announced a significant design change to
5016-475: The 1740s onwards, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei became the major influential force on the Auckland isthmus. The Māori population in the area is estimated to have been about 20,000 before the arrival of Europeans. The introduction of firearms at the end of the eighteenth century, which began in Northland , upset the balance of power and led to devastating intertribal warfare beginning in 1807, causing iwi who lacked
5130-562: The 2023 census, where people could identify as more than one ethnicity, the results were 44.0% European ( Pākehā ); 12.2% Māori ; 18.7% Pasifika ; 34.9% Asian ; 2.9% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.7% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 91.5%, Māori language by 2.7%, Samoan by 5.3% and other languages by 32.0%. No language could be spoken by 2.4% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language
5244-479: The Asian population had reached 18.0 per cent in Auckland, and 36.2 per cent in the central city. New arrivals from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea gave a distinctive character to the areas where they clustered, while a range of other immigrants introduced mosques, Hindu temples, halal butchers and ethnic restaurants to the suburbs. The boundaries of Auckland are imprecisely defined. The Auckland urban area , as it
5358-698: The Board's recommendations. Britomart was also changed, to officially become Waitematā railway station. Breaking with the Board's recommendation, the Minister made the decision for the Mount Eden station to be called 'Maungawhau' only, not to have a dual name of 'Maungawhau / Mount Eden' as the board suggested. One of the most contentious aspects of the CRL is whether it is economically sensible to build it. The results vary widely depending on whether certain ancillary projects are included, whether one assumes economic benefits outside purely transport effects (such as increased land value) and depending on what length of time
5472-533: The Britomart bus station (today, site of Waitematā railway station). Auckland Mayor Sir Dove-Myer Robinson noted the central government had just spent $ 33 million for new Wellington suburban trains (the EM class Ganz-Mavag units ) and the overhead railway scheme would "cost considerably less while providing a far greater potential." The Auckland Regional Authority supported the plan, although wanted to see more work done on
5586-695: The City Rail Link is expected to be completed in late 2025, with passenger services operating from 2026. In mid January 2024, Minister of Transport Simeon Brown confirmed that the National-led coalition government would continue work on the City Rail Link despite its policy of discontinuing the Auckland Light Rail project. In early November 2024, Transport Minister Brown and Deputy Mayor of Auckland Desley Simpson announced that Auckland's passenger rail network would be shut down between 25 December and 26 January to facilitate upgrades ahead of
5700-416: The City Rail Link's completion. Brown and Simpson also confirmed that there would be a total of 96 days in Auckland without an operational train service over the next 13 months, with closures occurring during holidays, weekends and evenings. The City Rail Link was constructed using both cut-and-cover and tunnel boring machine (TBM) methods depending on the location of construction. The ground through which
5814-726: The Pacific Ocean, and Manukau Harbour to the south, which opens west to the Tasman Sea . Bridges span parts of both harbours, notably the Auckland Harbour Bridge crossing the Waitematā Harbour west of the central business district. The Māngere Bridge and the Upper Harbour Bridge span the upper reaches of the Manukau and Waitematā Harbours, respectively. In earlier times, portages crossed
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#17327826049155928-591: The Royal New Zealand Navy , and the Museum of Transport and Technology . The Auckland Art Gallery is the largest stand-alone gallery in New Zealand with a collection of over 17,000 artworks, including prominent New Zealand and Pacific Island artists, as well as international painting, sculpture and print collections ranging in date from 1376 to the present day. In 2009, the Gallery was promised
6042-541: The Second World War, the city's transport system and urban form became increasingly dominated by the motor vehicle. Arterial roads and motorways became both defining and geographically dividing features of the urban landscape. They also allowed further massive expansion that resulted in the growth of suburban areas such as the North Shore (especially after the construction of the Auckland Harbour Bridge in
6156-646: The UK), the total project benefits for the city rail link have been estimated as up to 6 times higher than with the 30-year time frame. The "City Centre Future Access Study" (CCFAS) was prepared by Auckland Transport and released in December 2012. The CCFAS analysed a number of different ways of improving access to Auckland's city centre and concluded that the CRL was essential, noting that bus-only investment will provide for short-term benefits but in some cases will be 'worse than doing nothing' for private vehicle travel times in
6270-488: The associated lack of international migration. At the 2018 Census, in the local board areas of Upper Harbour, Waitematā, Puketāpapa and Howick, overseas-born residents outnumbered those born in New Zealand. The most common birthplaces of overseas-born residents were mainland China (6.2%), India (4.6%), England (4.4%), Fiji (2.9%), Samoa (2.5%), South Africa (2.4%), Philippines (2.0%), Australia (1.4%), South Korea (1.4%), and Tonga (1.3%). A study from 2016 showed Auckland has
6384-406: The capacity of Auckland's rail network when the rail link opens, the main benefit posed by the project. In September 2016, the government formally confirmed its intention to fund its proposed share of 50% of the City Rail Link. The cost of the City Rail Link was then re-estimated to be between $ 2.8 and $ 3.4 billion, subject to tenders for remaining contracts. In mid-April 2019, it was revealed that
6498-463: The census question. Recent immigration from Asia has added to the religious diversity of the city, increasing the number of people affiliating with Buddhism , Hinduism , Islam and Sikhism , although there are no figures on religious attendance. There is also a small, long-established Jewish community. Auckland is experiencing substantial population growth via immigration (two-thirds of growth) and natural population increases (one-third), and
6612-400: The city centre. Brown also strongly supported the tunnel, and further, a rail connection to Auckland Airport , as part of a package of measures to double public transport patronage within 15 years. New Zealand's transport minister in 2010, Steven Joyce , warned Aucklanders not to engage in wishful thinking. The Minister's comments regarding the City Rail Link (and other rail investment), set in
6726-622: The city is also home to the largest ethnic Polynesian population in the world. The Māori-language name for Auckland is Tāmaki Makaurau , meaning "Tāmaki desired by many", in reference to the desirability of its natural resources and geography. Auckland lies between the Hauraki Gulf to the east, the Hunua Ranges to the south-east, the Manukau Harbour to the south-west, and the Waitākere Ranges and smaller ranges to
6840-888: The city's cultural diversity include the Pasifika Festival , Polyfest, and the Auckland Lantern Festival , all of which are the largest of their kind in New Zealand. Additionally, Auckland regularly hosts the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Royal New Zealand Ballet . Auckland is part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the category of music. Important institutions include the Auckland Art Gallery , Auckland War Memorial Museum , New Zealand Maritime Museum , National Museum of
6954-587: The context of the government's focus on delivering Roads of National Significance , has been considered politically risky – going against widespread opinion in Auckland that was in favour of better public transport. After ongoing and sustained lobbying by Brown to get central government support, the nickname "Len's loop" developed. In March 2010, KiwiRail/ARTA selected a preferred route with three stations: "Aotea" (beneath Albert St between Victoria Street and Wellesley St), "K Road" (beneath Pitt St adjacent to Karangahape Rd) and "Newton" (beneath upper Symonds St between
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#17327826049157068-428: The cost of the project had risen by more than $ 1 billion to $ 4.419 billion. In 2023, CRL announced the cost of the project was now estimated to be $ 5.493bn. In February 2012, Auckland Council published the following proposed project timeline for the City Rail Link: This timeline will not be adhered to, as completion was rescheduled to 2024. CRL Chief Executive, Dr Sean Sweeney stated on the CRL website in late 2021 that
7182-406: The country's container trade in 2015. The face of urban Auckland changed when the government's immigration policy began allowing immigrants from Asia in 1986. This has led to Auckland becoming a multicultural city, with people of all ethnic backgrounds. According to the 1961 census data, Māori and Pacific Islanders comprised 5 per cent of Auckland's population; Asians less than 1 per cent. By 2006,
7296-460: The cultivation of crops, such as kūmara . Following European arrival, many of the maunga were transformed into quarries to supply the growing city with aggregate and building materials, and as a result were severely damaged or entirely destroyed. A number of the smaller maar craters and tuff rings were also removed during earthworks. Most of the remaining volcanic centres are now preserved within recreational reserves administered by Auckland Council ,
7410-418: The cut and cover tunnels under and along Albert St from Customs St to Wyndham St. The work started in October 2015 with the relocation of a major stormwater line in Albert St between Swanson and Wellesley Sts. Construction of these sections of the city rail link tunnels will coincide with Precinct Properties redevelopment of the Downtown Shopping Centre site, due to open by mid-2019. The Downtown Shopping Centre
7524-426: The early 1700s, Te Waiohua , a confederation of tribes such as Ngā Oho , Ngā Riki and Ngā Iwi, became the main influential force on the Auckland isthmus, with major pā located at Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill , Māngere Mountain and Maungataketake . The confederation came to an end around 1741, when paramount chief Kiwi Tāmaki was killed in battle by Ngāti Whātua hapū Te Taoū chief Te Waha-akiaki. From
7638-423: The early 21st century, particularly after the opening of Britomart Transport Centre in 2003, led to renewed interest in the scheme. The 2012 Auckland Spatial Plan highlighted the CRL as the most important transport investment for Auckland and the project has enjoyed strong public support. Its planning and funding have also been the subject of controversy. In June 2013, the central government announced its support for
7752-454: The east–west junctions, meaning that rail lines would not need to cross each other. The Mount Eden CRL platforms would now be built in an open-air trench, similar to that at New Lynn station . On 27 January 2016, Prime Minister John Key announced in a speech to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce that central government funding for main works construction of the CRL had been confirmed and this would allow Auckland Council to start to construct
7866-437: The effects of Covid are "highly likely (to mean) there will be significant consequences for the project in terms of cost and completion" and these would become clearer late 2022 or early 2023. In 2023, the Minister of Transport, Michael Wood , said the construction by CRL should be finished by November 2025, but the project is then handed over to Auckland Transport and KiwiRail which has CRL-related work to complete. As of 2023,
7980-470: The first construction phase of the city rail link. Construction of the early works package between Britomart and Wyndham Street started in October 2015. The Downer joint venture ( Downer NZ and Soletanche Bachy) was chosen to design the rail link work through and under Waitematā Station and Queen St to Precinct Properties' Downtown Shopping Centre site, and construction started in early 2016. The Connectus consortium ( McConnell Dowell and Hawkins) will construct
8094-442: The fourth largest foreign-born population in the world, only behind Dubai , Toronto and Brussels , with 39% of its residents born overseas. Religious affiliations in the 2023 census were 35.7% Christian , 6.1% Hindu , 3.3% Islam , 0.9% Māori religious beliefs , 2.1% Buddhist , 0.3% New Age , 0.2% Jewish , and 2.8% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 42.7%, and 6.0% of people did not answer
8208-532: The growth and prosperity of the Auckland Region since the area was settled by humans. Initially, the maunga (scoria cones) were occupied and established as pā (fortified settlements) by Māori due to the strategic advantage their elevation provided in controlling resources and key portages between the Waitematā and Manukau harbours. The rich volcanic soils found in these areas also proved ideal for
8322-455: The immigration services to award extra points towards immigration visa requirements for people intending to move to other parts of New Zealand. Immigration from overseas into Auckland is partially offset by the net emigration of people from Auckland to other regions of New Zealand. In 2021 and 2022, Auckland recorded its only decreases in population, primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic and
8436-464: The inner Hauraki Gulf islands from the mainland, there are popular swimming beaches at Cheltenham and Narrow Neck in Devonport , Takapuna , Milford , and the various beaches further north in the area known as East Coast Bays. The west coast has popular surf beaches such as Piha , Muriwai and Te Henga (Bethells Beach) . The Whangaparāoa Peninsula , Orewa , Ōmaha and Pākiri , to the north of
8550-401: The lack of good public transport, and increasing housing costs have been cited by many Aucklanders as among the strongest negative factors of living there, together with crime that has been rising in recent years. Nonetheless, Auckland ranked third in a survey of the quality of life of 215 major cities of the world (2015 data). One of Auckland's nicknames, the "City of Sails", is derived from
8664-463: The late 1950s), and Manukau City in the south. Economic deregulation in the mid-1980s led to very dramatic changes to Auckland's economy, and many companies relocated their head offices from Wellington to Auckland. The region was now the nerve centre of the entire national economy. Auckland also benefited from a surge in tourism, which brought 75 per cent of New Zealand's international visitors through its airport. Auckland's port handled 31 per cent of
8778-407: The late 20th century, have had an increasing presence in Auckland, making it by far the country's most cosmopolitan city. Historically, Auckland's population has been of majority European origin, though the proportion of those of Asian or other non-European origins has increased in recent decades due to the removal of restrictions directly or indirectly based on race . Europeans continue to make up
8892-553: The longer term. In July 2013, the Transport Agency's board agreed that transport projects were to be assessed for a 40-year evaluation period, but also reduced the discount rate from 8% to 6%. The key benefits of the City Rail Link are intended to be: A study conducted in 2018, suggests that the City Rail Link will improve the accessibility to economic opportunities for people in the more deprived regions of south, east and west Auckland. An estimated cost of $ 2.86 billion
9006-573: The main urban area, are also nearby. Many Auckland beaches are patrolled by surf lifesaving clubs, such as Piha Surf Life Saving Club the home of Piha Rescue . All surf lifesaving clubs are part of the Surf Life Saving Northern Region . Queen Street , Britomart , Ponsonby Road , Karangahape Road , Newmarket and Parnell are major retail areas. Major markets include those held in Ōtara and Avondale on weekend mornings. A number of shopping centres are located in
9120-411: The main works from 2018, with central funds guaranteed to flow from 2020. Commentary at the time reflected an opinion that this was a belated agreement to central government funding of the project by the ruling National Party , while the main opposition parliamentary parties ( Labour Party , Greens and NZ First ) had all been promising immediate construction timetables which were more closely aligned to
9234-859: The middle- and outer-suburbs, with Westfield Newmarket , Sylvia Park , Botany Town Centre and Westfield Albany being the largest. A number of arts events are held in Auckland, including the Auckland Festival , the Auckland Triennial, the New Zealand International Comedy Festival , and the New Zealand International Film Festival . The Auckland Philharmonia is the city and region's resident full-time symphony orchestra, performing its own series of concerts and accompanying opera and ballet. Events celebrating
9348-668: The morning and dies down again in the evening. The early morning calm on the isthmus during settled weather, before the sea breeze rises, was described as early as 1853: "In all seasons, the beauty of the day is in the early morning. At that time, generally, a solemn stillness holds, and a perfect calm prevails...". Fog is a common occurrence for Auckland, especially in autumn and winter. Whenuapai Airport experiences an average of 44 fog days per year. Auckland occasionally suffers from air pollution due to fine particle emissions. There are also occasional breaches of guideline levels of carbon monoxide . While maritime winds normally disperse
9462-609: The narrowest sections of the isthmus. Several islands of the Hauraki Gulf are administered as part of the Auckland Region, though they are not part of the Auckland urban area. Parts of Waiheke Island effectively function as Auckland suburbs, while various smaller islands near Auckland are mostly zoned 'recreational open space' or are nature sanctuaries. Under the Köppen climate classification , Auckland has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb ). However, under
9576-503: The new capital. Hobson named the area after George Eden, Earl of Auckland , British First Lord of the Admiralty . Māori–European conflict over land in the region led to war in the mid-19th century. In 1865, Auckland was replaced by Wellington as the capital, but continued to grow, initially because of its port and the logging and gold-mining activities in its hinterland, and later because of pastoral farming (especially dairy farming) in
9690-476: The new weapons to seek refuge in areas less exposed to coastal raids. As a result, the region had relatively low numbers of Māori when settlement by European New Zealanders began. On 20 March 1840 in the Manukau Harbour area where Ngāti Whātua farmed, paramount chief Apihai Te Kawau signed the Treaty of Waitangi . Ngāti Whātua sought British protection from Ngāpuhi as well as a reciprocal relationship with
9804-498: The number of people living within a 30-minute train trip of the city centre by around 370,000. The decision to electrify Auckland's rail network brought the tunnel back into focus as the key next step for developing Auckland's rail network. Estimates for the project's cost were around NZ$ 1.5 billion (or up to $ 2.4 billion according to other estimates), taking 12–16 years to plan and build. On 5 March 2008, Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) announced preliminary planning for
9918-446: The outcome of a three-year study and public hearings, its Unitary Plan for Auckland. The plan aims to free up to 30 percent more land for housing and allows for greater intensification of the existing urban area, creating 422,000 new dwellings in the next 30 years. Positive aspects of Auckland life are its mild climate, plentiful employment and educational opportunities, as well as numerous leisure facilities. Meanwhile, traffic problems,
10032-634: The owners of Westfield Downtown (later rebranded as Downtown Shopping Centre ) to allow the tunnel route to thread through the foundations of a proposed redevelopment of the site. In 2009 and 2010, the discussion on the future tunnel gained much more prominence, with both candidates for the Mayoralty of the new Auckland Council , John Banks and Len Brown , making the tunnel part of their election platforms. Banks noted that it attracted cost-benefit returns much higher than many similar-sized roading projects, and would provide much enhanced, integrated access to
10146-410: The plans of the council. On 30 June 2017, Finance Minister Steven Joyce and Transport Minister Simon Bridges signed agreements with Auckland Mayor Phil Goff that established City Rail Link Limited (CRLL). Effective 1 July 2017, the company assumed responsibility for delivering the City Rail Link. Mr Joyce said that it was crucial that there be a single joint entity running the project and that CRLL
10260-449: The plurality of the city's population, but no longer constitute a majority after decreasing in proportion from 54.6% to 48.1% between the 2013 and 2018 censuses. Asians now form the second-largest ethnic group, making up nearly one-third of the population. Auckland is home to the largest ethnic Polynesian population of any city in the world, with a sizeable population of Pacific Islanders ( Pasifika ) and indigenous Māori people . In
10374-483: The pollution relatively quickly it can sometimes become visible as smog, especially on calm winter days. The city of Auckland straddles the Auckland Volcanic Field , an area which in the past, produced at least 53 small volcanic centres over the last ~193,000 years, represented by a range of surface features including maars (explosion craters), tuff rings , scoria cones, and lava flows. It
10488-454: The popularity of sailing in the region. 135,000 yachts and launches are registered in Auckland, and around 60,500 of the country's 149,900 registered yachtsmen are from Auckland, with about one in three Auckland households owning a boat. The Viaduct Basin , on the western edge of the CBD, hosted three America's Cup challenges ( 2000 Cup , 2003 Cup and 2021 Cup ). The Waitematā Harbour
10602-478: The project with a construction commencement date of 2020, four years later than Auckland Council 's preferred start date of 2016. Prime Minister John Key announced in January 2016 that central government funding for the project had been confirmed, allowing Auckland Council to start construction of the main works from 2018, with central funds guaranteed to flow from 2020. Preliminary stages of construction, including
10716-450: The project, dropping the underground Newton Station in favour of a significant upgrade to Mount Eden station. This change would save construction costs of $ 124 million, require fewer properties to be bought by Auckland Transport and in the long term save operational costs, with total savings being over $ 150 million. In addition, the change would allow Mount Eden station to be connected to the CRL, which previously bypassed it, and would separate
10830-520: The redeveloped Downtown Shopping Centre and into Waitematā. The public got a look inside the tunnels in November 2019. In 2023, the government confirmed a date of 2025 for construction. At this point the project is handed over to Auckland Transport and it will be up to Auckland Transport and KiwiRail to announce when their CRL-related work will be finished. The line was mainly bored through East Coast Bays Formation of sandstones and siltstones . It
10944-485: The relocation of stormwater infrastructure and tunnelling in the vicinity of the Commercial Bay redevelopment, began in 2016. The City Rail Link is scheduled for completion in 2026. Serious planning schemes occurred as early as the 1920s. The tunnel was initially estimated at 1.75 miles (2.82 km) length and at £0.6 million. In 1936, Dan Sullivan the Minister of Railways argued that the scheme – then known as
11058-480: The south, stretching in a line from the port village of Onehunga in the west to Howick in the east. Each of the four settlements had about 800 settlers; the men were fully armed in case of emergency, but spent nearly all their time breaking in the land and establishing roads. In the early 1860s, Auckland became a base against the Māori King Movement , and the 12,000 Imperial soldiers stationed there led to
11172-432: The surrounding area, and manufacturing in the city itself. It has been the nation's largest city throughout most of its history. Today, Auckland's central business district is New Zealand's leading economic hub. The University of Auckland , founded in 1883, is the largest university in New Zealand. The city's significant tourist attractions include national historic sites, festivals, performing arts, sports activities and
11286-456: The trains are capable of having extra cars added in groups of three, the CRL station platforms, as originally specified, would not be long enough to accommodate nine-car trains. The proposed new capacity is 54,000 passengers per hour with the station platforms to be made longer so they can take the longer trains, and for an entry to be built at Beresford Square to complement Karanga a Hape station 's Mercury Lane entrance. The extra cost could run to
11400-514: The transfer of the administration from Russell (now Old Russell ) in the Bay of Islands was completed in 1842. However, even in 1840 Port Nicholson (later renamed Wellington ) was seen as a better choice for an administrative capital because of its proximity to the South Island , and Wellington became the capital in 1865. After losing its status as capital, Auckland remained the principal city of
11514-581: The tunnel was built without an "Eastern Link" at the southern end that would allow trains exiting it to turn east. The station was later dropped by Auckland Transport and the "Eastern Link" retained in the route protection documents. In June 2013, the central government announced its support for the project, albeit with a later construction start date of 2020 rather than 2015. The government stated it would consider an earlier start date if Auckland's CBD employment and rail patronage growth hit thresholds faster than projected rates of growth. On 8 July 2013, following
11628-422: The tunnel, with Auckland Transport , rather than KiwiRail, undertaking the process. In March 2012, Auckland Council decided to bring forward spending from the 2012–2013 budget, in order to continue progress protecting the eventual route. $ 6.3 million was spent on work including geotechnical surveys, utility and building assessments, contaminated site reports and rail operations modelling and $ 1.7m towards providing
11742-612: The tunnels were built varies between rock and soft soil, and with a variation in depth to natural ground level of between 40 metres and 0 metres. Cut and cover construction occurred around the existing Mount Eden railway station and in the suburb of Eden Terrace , forming the junction of the City Rail Link to the North Auckland Line . North of the junction, twin bored tunnels then extend as far as Mayoral Drive. Another section of cut and cover tunnel then extends north underneath Albert Street, before turning east to head underneath
11856-591: The vicinity of this station began. This first stage of three phases of demolition is expected to be completed in March 2020. While the train network for the period following the completion of the CRL has not been officially confirmed, Auckland Transport has released a preliminary plan. The plan proposes that the Western and Eastern Lines be connected through the CRL, and the Southern Line loops anticlockwise around
11970-533: The west and north-west. The surrounding hills are covered in rainforest and the landscape is dotted with 53 volcanic centres that make up the Auckland Volcanic Field . The central part of the urban area occupies a narrow isthmus between the Manukau Harbour on the Tasman Sea and the Waitematā Harbour on the Pacific Ocean. Auckland is one of the few cities in the world to have a harbour on each of two separate major bodies of water. The Auckland isthmus
12084-487: The year. The water temperature is warmest in February when it averages 21 °C (70 °F), while in August, the water temperature is at its coolest, averaging 14 °C (57 °F). Prevailing winds in Auckland are predominantly from the southwest. The mean annual wind speed for Auckland Airport is 18 kilometres per hour (11 mph). During the summer months there is often a sea breeze in Auckland which starts in
12198-479: Was closed on 28 May 2016 and by 23 November had been demolished. It will be replaced with a 36-storey skyscraper which will include a new shopping centre in the lower levels. Auckland Council and proprietors Precinct Properties struck a deal to include tunnels for the City Rail Link directly underneath the premises. In early December 2020, Mayor of Auckland Phil Goff unveiled a massive tunnel boring machine that would be used to drill two 1.6 km long tunnels from
12312-485: Was far greater than that of other settlements: about 50 per cent of the population was Irish, which contrasted heavily with the majority English settlers in Wellington, Christchurch or New Plymouth . The majority of settlers in the early period were assisted by receiving cheap passage to New Zealand. Trams and railway lines shaped Auckland's rapid expansion in the early first half of the 20th century. However, after
12426-802: Was first hinted at in early 2022 in the Auckland Light Rail group's Indicative Business Case appendices, which showed a proposed but discarded Airport heavy rail option where half of all Western Line services diverted from Avondale to Auckland Airport via Onehunga. In June 2023, this operating pattern was confirmed in the draft Regional Public Transport Plan 2023–2031. The Southern Line and Western and Eastern Line will each likely run every 15 minutes all-day, increasing to every 7.5 minutes at peak times. The Onehunga and Western Line and Southern Express Line will each likely run every 30 minutes all-day. Auckland Auckland ( / ˈ ɔː k l ə n d / AWK -lənd ; Māori : Tāmaki Makaurau )
12540-417: Was first settled c. 1350 and was valued for its rich and fertile land. The Māori population in the area is estimated to have peaked at 20,000 before the arrival of Europeans. After a British colony was established in New Zealand in 1840, William Hobson , then Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand, chose Auckland as its new capital . Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei made a strategic gift of land to Hobson for
12654-565: Was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 44.9, compared with 28.8% nationally. At the 2023 census the Pasifika population formed the majority in the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu local board area and the plurality in the Ōtara-Papatoetoe and Manurewa local board areas. The Asian population formed the majority in the Howick and Puketāpapa local board areas and the plurality in
12768-515: Was often quoted for the project, but this cost was inflated out to the year of construction. The cost of the project in 2010 was $ 2.311 billion. That price also included not only the tunnel link with three stations (a deep-level Newton station was later dropped), but additional trains, duplication of the Onehunga Branch to two tracks and other small improvements to Auckland's rail network. These additional items are intended to further increase
12882-420: Was owned jointly by central and local government. Budget 2017 allocated $ 436 million to the City Rail Link project. As planned, the CRL's underground rail lines will have a capacity of 36,000 passengers per hour. That figure was expected to be reached in 2045. In July 2018, revised projections by City Rail Link Ltd (CRLL) showed the 36,000 capacity will be reached by 2035 – just 10 years after it opens. Although
12996-470: Was reported that the effects of COVID-19 , high inflation and staffing issues had increased the cost of the project by $ 1 billion to $ 5.493 billion. The opening of the project would also be delayed to the end of 2025 at the earliest. Following completion of the CRL, some trains will no longer terminate at Waitematā. Platforms 1 and 5 will be the through platforms, while platforms 2, 3 and 4 will remain terminating platforms. This station will be constructed by
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