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Cameron Matthews

@cmatthews5555.bsky.social
165 followers 104 following 36 posts

Engineer. Like: health, climate, cities, space. Dislike: fascists, green-washing.

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Reposted by Cameron Matthews
Russell Brown @publicaddress.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
This is appropriately withering.
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Reposted by Cameron Matthews
Robot Muldoom @robot-muldoom.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Monday: Willis announces $2.4bn saved by cutting 8,700 public service jobs. Same week: $4bn committed to one 26km stretch of Warkworth motorway, BCR 0.7. We're firing nearly 10k people to fund a road that loses 30c on every dollar. #nzpol
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Hayden Donnell @haydendonnell.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
one of the major clues that social housing tenants haven't in fact won the lotto is that they need social housing
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Hayden Donnell @haydendonnell.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
This Iran situation isn't looking great. But surely our politicians have been taking steps to reduce our dependence on oil. Would be very concerned if not thespinoff.co.nz/politics/17-...
thespinoff.co.nz
Petrol is so expensive. Hopefully we’ve been reducing our dependence on it?
It would be a real shame if we’d done something like stop NZTA spending on walking and cycling. Ha ha ha.
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D Jukic She/her @dejanajuk.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
“Christchurch Hospital has started rationing dialysis to two sessions per week from three because of a Government-imposed sinking lid on spending to ensure Crown spending to GDP gets down below 30%, 1News reported last night” #nzpol
thekaka.substack.com
Dawn Chorus: Luxon clings on as inflation shock looms
Luxon won't resign after poll shock; Oil over US$90/bbl overnight; Petrol over NZ$3/l in some areas; Freight cost warning after diesel rises 44c/l; Pak n'Save buying US butter; Dialysis rationing
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Cameron Matthews @cmatthews5555.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
If this were for a similar benefit to road traffic you can bet there'd be an approved multi billion budget for this already.
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Reposted by Cameron Matthews
Spokes Canterbury @spokescanterbury.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Another article in @thepress.co.nz today covering our cycleway network, great to see we are being recognised for our efforts in Christchurch!
Photo of Newspaper Article. There is an image of a bicyclist riding towards the camera on a separated cycleway in the top right of the article. The text reads as below.

Christchurch has been named the most bike-friendly city in the Asia-Oceania region.

The accolade comes from the global Copenhagenize Index, produced every two years by Paris-based consultancy Copenhagenize with European Union funding.

It considers aspects of cycling including infrastructure, traffic calming, safety, usage numbers, the number of women biking, the image of bikes, political commitment, advocacy, and urban planning.

The index tracks how cities across the globe are making cycling safe, convenient, and mainstream.

The accompanying report says “cycling is more than a means of transportation; it is a lens through which we can grasp how cities work.”

While top in Asia-Oceania, Christchurch ranked 38th globally. The index’s top 10 cities were all in Europe, headed by Utrecht in the Netherlands with the Danish capital Copenhagen second.

Second in Asia-Oceania was Tainwanese capital Taipei, with Wellington third in the region and 47th globally, and the only other New Zealand city to make the index.

While Christchurch scored almost as high for cycling policy and support as the top European cities, it ranked considerably lower for safety and connectivity of infrastructure, and usage and reach.

The report said that in Oceania, “New Zealand cities emerge as top performers, thanks to a comprehensive cycling policy framework”.

“However, recent political shifts and tighter budgets have introduced uncertainty in infrastructure investment, raising concerns about long-term momentum.”

Christchurch cycling advocate and transport engineer Glen Koorey was pleased by the recognition, but said the momentum needs to continue.

Link to article for further reading (alt text run out of characters)
https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/360928143/christchurch-pedals-top-asia-oceania-bike-ranking
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Cameron Matthews @cmatthews5555.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
Loving the nerding out in this article - and no, Shanti's not the only one!!
thespinoff.co.nz
Am I the only person in Christchurch who’s excited about the new bus payment system?
The $1.4bn system is running – but no one seems to have noticed.
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Reposted by Cameron Matthews
Christian Rika ⚡ @crikarika.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
For anyone passionate about The Huia or commuter rail, Waikato Regional Council are looking for feedback on the service. Open to anyone. Share it around #nzpol #transit #nz yourvoicematters.waikatoregion.govt.nz/future-of-te...
yourvoicematters.waikatoregion.govt.nz
Future of Te Huia
The Te Huia passenger rail service has been operating between Waikato and Auckland since 2021. Whether you have travelled on Te Huia or not, we want to hear your thoughts about the service and what it...
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NZ Transit Buzz @nztransitbuzz.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
#TicketingNews: Motu Move has launched on all Metro buses and ferries across Greater Christchurch (Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri) on Monday morning. Passengers can now pay a standard Metro fare using contactless debit/credit cards, Google Pay, Apple Pay and Metro cards.
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Reposted by Cameron Matthews
Spokes Canterbury @spokescanterbury.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
Great to see the connection along Antigua Street, alongside Parakiore, completed 🚲🎉🫶
Shared post from Christchurch City Council (original post on Facebook):
The Antigua Street cycle connection, road and pipe upgrades are finished! 
With around 1100 cyclists travelling down Antigua Street each day, this is one of Christchurch's busiest cycle routes. The new connection features separated cycleways in both directions between Moorhouse Ave and St Asaph St and connects the Quarryman's Trail, Uni-Cycle as well as other central city lanes. This will make it nice and easy to get to Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre by bike or scooter when it opens later in the year.

A key part of the project was also upgrading the watermain pipes which had reached the end of their serviceable life. The road has also been resurfaced, and the western footpath has been widened and renewed, with new gardens adding the finishing touches to the area.Photos of the new road layout, featuring cyclists and cars, the new rain gardens, and the smooth new seal.Map of the area showing the new connection along Antigua St in red with yellow highlighting
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Reposted by Cameron Matthews
André Brett @drdrehistorian.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
Imagine if we could also get $44–54bn investment in rail to provide people with proper transport options and rectify a century-long imbalance in funding. Oh yeah, and the benefit/cost ratio of PT would well exceed these roads, many of which fail to have benefits exceeding their costs
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Stephanie Rodgers 🍉 @bootstheory.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
When you think about it, it's kind of funny how the best things we could *actually* do for roads and travel times in AoNZ is rebuild our rail network and massively increase funding for public transport, walking and cycling
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Bruce Buckman @brucebuckman.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
Doctors cross ethical line says man who raised speed limits for no reason despite extensive evidence it would lead to more injuries and death. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
rnz.co.nz
Simeon Brown accuses doctors of crossing 'ethical line' with mega strike
There were audible cries of disbelief during the Simeon Brown's speech to a senior doctors' conference.
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Musical Chairs @musicalchairs.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
Here's the annual change in the number of people known to IRD by primary income source. You can see the tqax-paying population is not growing as much now that immigration has cooled. But, also clear, we are a long way from seeing growth in people with work as their primary income source. Grim. [3/3]
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dingsbums @binkle.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
Ōtautahi / Chch procrastinators, join me in voting in the local body elections before midday tomorrow - drop off locations listed in the link www.newsline.ccc.govt.nz/news/story/t... #kikorangi
newsline.ccc.govt.nz
Time running out to vote in local elections
Time is running out for the 69 per cent of eligible voters in Christchurch and Banks Peninsula who have yet to complete and return their voting papers for the local elections.
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Max Johns (MxDEJ) @maxjohns.nz · 02/10/2025
I'm warming to the guy.
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Jessica de Heij @jdeheij.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
Big infrastructure projects are great if you only count the benefits and none of the costs. That seems to be the position of infrastructure lobby group Infrastructure NZ, based on a report they released last week about the big motorway projects built in Wellington over the last decade.”
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Charlie Mitchell @comingupcharlie.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
New bridge in the red zone looks epic. While Wellingtonians squabble interminably over their awful retro bridge, Christchurch gets stuck in and builds for the future. Powerful.
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Space Academy (Ōtautahi/Christchurch, Aotearoa/NZ) @spaceacademy.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
@sarainchch.bsky.social 👏
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Kārikiōrangi @sharonm.bsky.social · 13/09/2025
Fine analysis of the very tight battle for Christchurch Mayor by David Williams. Read it before you vote - because the next mayor will set the city direction in important ways. Mauger’s disdain for any method of transport other than cars will screw the city. newsroom.co.nz/2025/09/12/f...
newsroom.co.nz
‘Flip and flop’ mayor gives latest take on asset sales
Council-owned companies remain a contentious issue in the race for Christchurch’s mayoralty between Phil Mauger and Sara Templeton
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Cameron Matthews @cmatthews5555.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
Local man throws away billions to get millions.
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Shaun Hendy @hendysh.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
The Covid inquiry reboot is inspiring all sorts of revisionism on LinkedIn, including this little gem from Covid Plan B stalwart Ananish Chaudhuri “By October 2020, we knew that the vaccines did not prevent transmission”. This is not true, but how did he even come up with this? Thread. 1/N
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Ben Ross @benakl.bsky.social · 24/08/2025
Trucks do NOT pay their way to use Aotearoa Roads Light Vehicles subsidise them by $500m and this does not include taxpayer top ups Report 👇 Submission on Draft Infrastructure Commission Te Waihanga Infrastructure Plan thefutureisrail.org/reports
Projected GVW Costs vs HW GVM Revenue
$500m gap1/3 of transport funding is paid directly by user funding
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Michael Plank @michaelplanknz.bsky.social · 23/08/2025
What cutting cycleways would really save ratepayers Answer: 3/5ths of naff all as these excellent graphs show www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3607...
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Spokes Canterbury @spokescanterbury.bsky.social · 23/08/2025
Interesting myth busting article in the press today, important take aways are 1) Cycleways only contribute 0.11% of the 5% rates rises. 2) The largest contributor to our rates is critical water infrastructure, with a whopping $2 billion 1/3 www.thepress.co.nz/a/nz-news/36...
thepress.co.nz
What cutting cycleways would really save ratepayers
Cycleways have become a lightning rod for frustration over rising rates and are seen as a symbol of perceived council excess.
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The Spinoff @thespinoff.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Fear and zoning at Auckland Council
thespinoff.co.nz
Fear and zoning at Auckland Council
It looks like we might finally be letting people build houses in Kingsland, Mt Eden and Mt Albert, and some of our councillors are absolutely ropeable....
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Eloise Gibson @eloisegibson.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
The climate advice they didn't want you to see. [finally, six days before I finish up, I get to use that headline formula 😅] www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
rnz.co.nz
Officials warn of damage to diplomatic relations in secret climate change memo
Officials raise concerns on government's climate change stance in mistakenly released advice.
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Joel MacManus @joelmacmanus.bsky.social · 07/08/2025
The government isn’t being misleading about transport spending – it’s pioneering a transformative new mindfulness tool. thespinoff.co.nz/politics/08-...
thespinoff.co.nz
The life-changing power of blaming everything on road cones
The government isn’t being misleading about transport spending – it’s pioneering a transformative new mindfulness tool.
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Reposted by Cameron Matthews
André Brett @drdrehistorian.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
Incoming rant: Generations of NZ transport planners and politicians have routinely failed to grasp the point below. From the 1950s, existing patronage has regularly been seen as the full potential patronage, which has been used to justify service cuts and cancellations. This of course makes...
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Jessica de Heij @jdeheij.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
“Local government rates, as a percentage of the economy, have stayed relatively static for more than 100 years, while central government tax has grown from under 10% to more than 30% in the same time. Meanwhile, pipes, roads, and public buildings have been left to decay.”
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Jennifer Ward @jenospeno.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
This cause is close to my heart - please sign: our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/re...
our.actionstation.org.nz
Restore The Southerner Train
A restored Southerner train route offers affordable transport for 750,000 SI residents, bridging gaps where air is too costly for students/low-income, coaches inaccessible for disabled/elderly, and ca...
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Cameron Matthews @cmatthews5555.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
Great idea. With small $$ this could be the fastest way to get around the Canterbury region bar helicopter, boost the viability of our regional centres, improve resilience for land-transport and provide a cost-competitor for air-travel. Sign @thefutureisrail.bsky.social's petition!
our.actionstation.org.nz
Restore The Southerner Train
A restored Southerner train route offers affordable transport for 750,000 SI residents, bridging gaps where air is too costly for students/low-income, coaches inaccessible for disabled/elderly, and ca...
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Reposted by Cameron Matthews
Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
In which I discuss why some routine assumptions around the value of certain transport investments may no longer hold: www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/06/03/r...
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RNZ News Feeds @rnzrss.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
Council wants train connecting Christchurch with growing Canterbury towns
rnz.co.nz
Council wants train connecting Christchurch with growing Canterbury towns
The council is preparing a business case for the passenger rail service.
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NZ Transit Buzz @nztransitbuzz.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
#RailNews: Environment Canterbury voted to approach KiwiRail to assist in preparing a business case for a Rangiora to Rolleston passenger rail service. Via @thepress.co.nz: www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3607...
thepress.co.nz
‘Easy win’: ECan to push for Rangiora to Rolleston commuter train
Environment Canterbury has voted unanimously to lobby KiwiRail for a passenger rail service from Rangiora to Rolleston.
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Hayden Donnell @haydendonnell.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
remember if you see a headline about the cost of a pedestrian crossing in the New Zealand news it's always a good rule of thumb to reduce the figure in your head by a factor of 5 to 15, stay safe out there everyone
Waiuku's $400,000 pedestrian crossing proposal paused after criticism from local boardAT said the construction estimate for the raised crossing was only $65,000 and "is only a small part of the proposed project, which encompasses a multi-street safety upgrade scheme that also includes footpath and drainage upgrades."
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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
If you're wondering why so few cycleways were actually built in recent years even though the previous govt was supportive, it's because all the money went to a Wellington state highway resilience project.
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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 18/05/2025
In which I ask who is responsible for reducing harm on our streets? www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/05/19/a...
greaterauckland.org.nz
AT directors at risk? - Greater Auckland
Patrick Reynolds is deputy chair of the City Centre Advisory Panel With Auckland Transport racing towards risky speed increases at the behest of the previous Minister of Transport’s Speed Rule, all ey...
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
We are spending $5.5 billion on a transformational rail project, only for Auckland Transport to bring back cars and traffic right outside stations, by last minute redesigning a well supported project. Something needs to change. www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/04/09/g...
greaterauckland.org.nz
Getting Cross with AT's awful last minute re-designs of Project K - Greater Auckland
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post extensively on Substack! Cross Street Let’s start on Cross Street, where Auckland Transport has decided to preserve on-street carparking, which means choosing not to ex...
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The Press @thepress.co.nz · 23/03/2025
A significant investment into Greater Christchurch’s public transport which went “missing” last year has been found: in road projects.
thepress.co.nz
‘Missing’ $78m for public transport in Christchurch reallocated to roads
The transport minister says the council gave up on accessing the funding intended for Greater Christchurch’s public transport, but a city councillor says that is “absolutely misleading”.
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Jono @jonodw.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
Today Christchurch city councilors voted to allow more housing in outer suburbs like Hornby and Belfast but not just outside of the four aves. They limited the city centre walkable zone upzoning to inside the four aves as the IHP surprisingly recommended.
Map of Christchurch zones with examples of outer suburb areas that were upzoned and inner areas which were not
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PTCBR - Public Transport Association of Canberra @ptcbr.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
Brisbane Metro is a $1.55bn project involving a 200m tunnel, a new bus station, and 300 double bendy buses. It's a big investment in PT, but it's not a cheaper alternative to light rail. www.abc.net.au/news/...
abc.net.au
Brisbane's 'cheaper' alternative to rail faces delays and expensive cost blowouts
The Brisbane Metro buses were meant to be a cheaper alternative to a subway. However, it has now cost $1.55 billion, more than the original plan it replaced, and the bendy buses won't be on the road until sometime next year.
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Cameron Matthews @cmatthews5555.bsky.social · 11/03/2024
New post (and Canterbury regional rail / Christchurch MRT plan) just dropped cameronmatthews.substack.com/p/how-to-bea...
cameronmatthews.substack.com
How to beat a business case: South Island Regional Rail (feat: visions for Ōtautahi MRT)
Boosting prosperity and resilience of communities of Te Waipounamu
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Cameron Matthews @cmatthews5555.bsky.social · 01/02/2024
Wellingtonians walking to work, probably www.instagram.com/reel/Cz6oQvU...
instagram.com
@spiritotrailmag on Instagram: "𝐀𝐇 𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍, 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐄 ...
52K likes, 316 comments - spiritotrailmag on November 21, 2023: "𝐀𝐇 𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍, 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐎!..."
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Cameron Matthews @cmatthews5555.bsky.social · 25/01/2024
Damn the Transit app is good. Multi-operator baby!
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Cameron Matthews @cmatthews5555.bsky.social · 24/01/2024
Name a more iconic duo
Huntly DEKA sign and smoke stacks
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Cameron Matthews @cmatthews5555.bsky.social · 23/01/2024
Te Huia's the bomb
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