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Transport

Our site is located within easy travel distance to many of the places we go on a daily basis. This proximity and location has a number of benefits:

  • reduces the amount of time we spend travelling
  • reduced reliance on a car to see friends, go to the shops and just generally get around
  • allows us to walk and cycle many places helping us to stay fit and healthy
  • allows us to use public transport to get to many of the places we can't walk or cycle to helping us to keeping our carbon footprint small

Point Chevalier has great access to transport links to the city, several cycleways to surrounding areas and has much of what we need close by, including a supermarket, cafes, pubs and other shops.

Some of the first sites that we looked at were much more rural, on the outskirts of Auckland, with magnificent scenery and privacy. Weighing up the pros and cons of these sites we realised that this would significantly effect our lifestyle and impact on our environmental goals.

Public Transport

There are frequent bus links along Point Chev Road and Great North Road to the city where we work. From Britomart much of Auckland can be accessed by public transport. The map below shows a section of the MAXX.co.nz map5 of Auckland transport.
Section of Auckland transport map showing Pt Chev. Maxx.co.nz

Cycling and Walking

Walking distance to the super market, cafes, and other shops. Cycling distance to work in the city, 

View MAXX Auckland Central cycle resource map in a larger map

Why is it important?

The Ministry of Economic Development's recently published "New Zealand’s Energy Outlook 2009/20101" summarises some of the key transport related challenges in the opening paragraph:
"One of the key challenges presented in the Reference Scenario is New Zealand’s ongoing reliance on imported oil. From an energy security perspective this dependency exposes New Zealand to the variability and uncertainty of international oil prices and potential supply disruptions. It also has a significant impact on New Zealand’s balance of payments. The Reference Scenario also saw ongoing increases in greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector – by 2030 energy sector emissions could be 40% above 1990 levels. The Transport fleet is largely responsible for the increased emissions.1"
New Zealand has a high dependency on oil, with oil accounting for over half of our total energy demand and 98% of our transport fuel3. In 2010 it was approximately 35% but this is expected to increase to nearly 80% by 2020 and to nearly 90% by 2030. As a nation this exposes us to expected oil price rises (see background).  The Ministry of Economic Development predicts that "at an oil price of $180/barrel and emissions price of $100/tonne, petrol pump prices in real terms are over $3.50 /litre (incl. GST).."1. This would not only more than double the fuel price per km that we pay to drive our cars, but would also increase the price of anything that is transported in New Zealand using fossil fuel, including food.
New Zealand's projected oil dependency1 New Zealand's CO2 emissions by sector for 20084

For every km travelled in our current car (at 8L/100km) we release 187 grams of CO22. Transport emissions make up a 42%4 of NZ's energy related emissions. Improved transport efficiency represents a significant opportunity to reduce New Zealand's impact on climate changes and also to reduce our exposure to future CO2 costs. The value of NZ's transport related CO2 emissions in 2008 (At $100/tonne of CO2) were $1.4billion. By reducing our emissions we will be less exposed to the increasing price of CO2, which will increase our competitiveness as a nation.

Meeting the project goals

Energy efficiency and green house gas emissions:

  • Using more fuel efficient modes of transport reduces CO2 emissions per person

Health and comfort:

  • Walking and cycling help fitness levels

Low pollutant emissions:

  • Public transport, cycling and walking reduce fuel burnt and the emissions of gases such as NOx and SO2

Footnotes:

  1. New Zealand’s Energy Outlook 2009/2010, Changing Gear, How could New Zealand reduce its reliance on imported oil?, Ministry of Economic Development (NZ), accessed on 24/05/2010
  2. "Premium petrol – multiply the L/100km by 23.414 to give CO2 grams/km", Rightcar website, New Zealand Transport Agency, accessed on the 24/05/2010
  3. New Zealand's Energy Outlook 2009/2010, Oil Price Sensitivity, Ministry of Economic Development (NZ), accessed on 24/05/2010
  4. The New Zealand Energy Greenhouse Gas Emissions, 2008 Calendar Year, Ministry of Economic Development (NZ), accessed on 24/05/2010
  5. Auckland City public transport map, maxx.co.nz