A Matter of Priorities: How Would You Spend $53m?

Written by Ben Ross - Talking Auckland

Galling or prudent?

 

The announcement of $53m to be spent at the World Expo in 2020 managed to rile both sides of the political spectrum up one way or the other. Whether it was the quality of the spend (how much bang for buck do we get given past presentations at a World Expo have been pitiful or the fact $53m should go elsewhere entirely was up for debate.

 

So the question is how would you spend the $53m?

 

Me personally?

 

I would spend it here:

The Third Main
Source: Transport Blog via Kiwi Rail

Because without the Third Main those innovative goods or services are going to be rather stuck on the Southern Motorway trying to get to their destination.

 

Food for thought

 

 

 

2 thoughts on “A Matter of Priorities: How Would You Spend $53m?”

  1. I’m not sure if the $53m is in place of other spending or if it is just extra spending.
    Thing is that we do have to spend money internationally promoting NZ and NZ products/companies etc. Without that people aren’t buying our products and we aren’t earning those export dollars to pay for things like infrastructure.
    That said I hope they have done a proper BCR on this sort of spending. If NZ gains $2 for every dollar spent then awesome. If it is only dollar for dollar then it is questionable.

    I do want the 3rd main (and 4th) build ASAP btw.

    1. And that is the crux: the value of the spend. If we get that $2 return for $1 put in then a win, but if real low quality returns happen (as we see under this Government all to often) then that $53m would have been better sunk into the Third Main.

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