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Connor Sharp

@connorsharp.bsky.social
587 followers 186 following 1.7K posts

Campaign Director @greaterauckland.bsky.social and #1 light rail fan 'Unaffiliated Individual' - NZ Infrastructure Commission Officially more popular than a Real Housewife of Auckland Views my own linktr.ee/ConnorSharp

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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 19h
I'm a big believer in giving more resources and funding to local government for transport. But as apart of this, they also need to become responsible for part of the cost of State Highway projects/works, so local reps stop arguing for massive overscoped projects www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/woodend-b...
nzherald.co.nz
Mayor advocates for $800m motorway extension to go ahead toll-free
National has promised $800 million for the Canterbury project if re-elected.
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 19h
Made this graph the other day to get an idea of how ungodly expensive the current crop of RoNS are based on Infrastructure Commission research. Compare the cost per lane km, with some 50th percentile benchmarks. Red is post 2023 roads in NZ, yellow pre 2022, and green OECD. #nzpol
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 21h
No idea who started re sharing this, but relevant again with the transport policy announcements over the weekend xD #nzpol
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 21h
Wow lol, talk about timing www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/...
nzherald.co.nz
Train narrowly misses car at level crossing during Green Party announcement
A train narrowly misses a car driving through a level crossing with alarms sounding during a Green Party policy announcement. Video / NZ Herald
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Greens light rail plans should be much cheaper than in their policy document They've used the top end of costs identified in the Infrastructure Commissions work (95th percentile at $250m per km) Whereas 75% of surface light rail projects are $100m per km or under. #nzpol
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
I see Mill Road is being announced by National as a 2028 priority. Relevant is this table from Auckland Councils Transport Policy Statement (unanimously supported by Councillors including former National Party Minister of Transport Maurice Williamson) lol
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
"National leader Christopher Luxon did not want taxpayer funding going into a "white elephant" that was not commercially viable. "Of course we're very committed to our 17 roads of national significance and we make no apology for that." Hmmm which one is a white elephant? #nzpol
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Jolisa Gracewood @nzdodo.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
So, The Big Short but for roads. #nzpol
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Russell Brown @publicaddress.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Along with others, I've had a bit to say about Simeon Brown's deranged 2024 Transport GPS. But this is actually shocking. It was altered *after the consultation period* to make the books look better – in a way that wrecks the National Land Transport Fund. www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2026/09/29/t...
greaterauckland.org.nz
Transport borrowing comes back to bite - Greater Auckland
Today, Treasury is releasing the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (or PREFU) ahead of the election. So I figured it was worth looking at a significant recent change to the way transport expendi...
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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Kinda like The Big Short, but for roads? On PREFU day, @connorsharp.bsky.social takes a closer look at the coalition government’s changes to how debt repayment works in the transport sphere. It’s been relatively underreported - and it’s not pretty: www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2026/09/29/t...
greaterauckland.org.nz
Transport borrowing comes back to bite - Greater Auckland
Today, Treasury is releasing the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (or PREFU) ahead of the election. So I figured it was worth looking at a significant recent change to the way transport expendi...
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Remember in 2022 when James Shaw called Simeon Brown 'younger Sméagol' and now its in Hansard forever?
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Terrible Maps :bot: @terriblemaps.zpravobot.news.ap.brid.gy · 25/09/2026
Countries by how New Zealand they are
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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Week One of the City Rail Link in operation—and fair to say, Aucklanders are still feeling pretty chuffed! Today, Matt Lowrie takes a close look at the record ridership numbers, plus other key stats (& plans) that Auckland Transport kindly shared with us: www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2026/09/22/c...
greaterauckland.org.nz
Still chuffed: CRL Week One success - Greater Auckland
The City Rail Link has a bit of a secret power. It doesn’t just transport you around Auckland, but even further afield. Standing on the platform at Te Waihorotiu at certain times in the middle of the ...
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Reading this is such a mindfuck Like its an active defence of Māori (co?) governance on Auckland Council, mixed with random ramblings and hot takes about MMP, NZTA, and the monarchy. There actually is no other politician like Wayne Brown its so wild lol www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/panicked-...
nzherald.co.nz
Panicked Nats have an ugly agenda in attacking our Independent Māori Statutory Board
OPINION: Reject list MPs are leading the Govt into a blaze of anger about council voting.
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Akl City Centre Residents' Group @ccrg.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Going strong. Meet the candidates. #citycentre
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Russell Brown @publicaddress.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Good grief. Yet more chaotic legislating and last-minute changes. If central government wants to usurp councils' decisions it could at least try and be competent about it. www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland/...
nzherald.co.nz
'Butt out of our business': Brown threatens Auckland Deal exit over Māori board voting ban
Auckland Mayor tells minister to stop meddling in the council’s democratic processes.
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Jolisa Gracewood @nzdodo.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
“I’d expected a thrilling shimmer of excitement & unreality to hover over the whole experience…instead, it felt completely real and everyday; entirely delightful and entirely ordinary. Like Narnia, but normal: open the wardrobe doors, and step out into your city.” CRL thoughts from me and the guys:
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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
We took the train to town yesterday, and we're absolutely chuffed! ☺️🚇 #CRL Enjoy this special bumper post, chock-full of great pics & stories, links to wider media coverage, plus some fun (and moving) reflections from our very happy team of "tired nerds": www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2026/09/14/a...
greaterauckland.org.nz
Absolutely chuffed: our report from CRL opening day - Greater Auckland
What a day! Sunday saw the first running of passenger trains through the City Rail Link tunnels and stations. Some of us were up before the birds to catch the very first train, while others took a mor...
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Kent Lundberg @kentlundberg.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
One of the biggest improvements that came with the Auckland subway project was the introduction of bollards to manage streets.
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I was up for like 20hours+ straight yesterday for CRL opening day and it was worth it. Even though I'm sligghtttlllyy tired today
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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
A three thumbs up kinda day 😁👍😁👍😁👍 #CRL @connorsharp.bsky.social @patrickreynolds.bsky.social
A bunch of Greater Auckland guys, first up and best dressed and enjoying this morning’s first train through the CRL stations, on Sunday 13 September 2026. Left to right: Matt Lowrie, Connor Sharp and Patrick Reynolds.
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Last evening walking down K Road without a cool train station being open!
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Jolisa Gracewood @nzdodo.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Also this is a handy reminder of how, when a moment turns weird and/or inappropriate, it’s always possible to reassert collective normality and niceness: bsky.app/profile/conn...
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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
An absolutely massive Friday roundup today, literally and figuratively – with reports from today's ribbon-cutting for the City Rail Link. Pictured: Greater Auckland's Matt Lowrie & Patrick Reynolds with "the godfather of CRL", aka former Mayor Len Brown. 🥰 www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2026/09/11/w...
greaterauckland.org.nz
Weekly Roundup 11-September-2026 - Greater Auckland
Kia ora, and welcome to our weekly roundup of stories about what makes cities great, including our own. Today’s header image shows our Matt Lowrie and Patrick Reynolds, with the godfather of the City ...
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Yeah, Winston was being a grumbly old prick at the CRL opening ceremony about the station names, but listen to the cheers after I heckled him by whooping in celebration of renaming Britomart to Waitematā!
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Jolisa Gracewood @nzdodo.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
If it's helpful in mastering the gorgeous new City Rail Link station names, you can get 'em on a cute T-shirt (or a tote!) via @greaterauckland.bsky.social's merch shop. 😀 greaterauckland.digitees.co.nz
The new and refreshed quartet of City Rail Link stations (Waitematā & Te Waihorotiu & Karanga-a-Hape & Maungawhau) in iconic "Fab Four" layout on a green T-shirt. These and totes with the same design can be acquired from the advocacy charity Greater Auckland's Digitees shop.
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Jolisa Gracewood @nzdodo.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
So at today's CRL ribbon-cutting the Minister for Rail had a grumble re the new station names in te reo Māori: "All around the world, it's New York Central, London Central; why not Auckland Central Station." Lol, no. It's Grand Central, Paddington, King's Cross, Roma Termini, Gare du Nord, etc 🧐🤓🤷‍♀️
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Crl opening ceremony speechs ranked: 1. AGGS Head Girl Ryvah Cooper 2. Chris Bishop 3. Woke Wayne 4. Christopher Luxon 5. Drunk Uncle Wayne . . . . Bottom of the barrel: Whatever Winston's spiel was
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Fun one to write :) Bring on the City Rail Link aka Len's loop! www.thepost.co.nz/business/361...
thepost.co.nz
It had many brave advocates - but Len Brown ‘great father’ of the City Rail Link
OPINION: It’s a great week to be an Aucklander, with the City Rail Link opening - and we have mainly Len Brown, but also others after him, to thank for having the vision of such an uplifting asset.
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Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
While Auckland celebrates the opening of the City Rail Link, Wellington will be having a fight about whether to do more bus lanes. Better things are possible, but the same people try to make them feel impossible.
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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
ART for all our sakes: youtube.com/shorts/WRbLz...
youtube.com
Auckland's City Rail Link is Opening!
YouTube video by Greater Auckland
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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
With all eyes on the City Rail Link opening on Sunday, we’re lifting our gaze to the horizon. It’s the ideal time to refresh our vision for a Congestion-Free Network. @patrickreynolds.bsky.social asks: what’s next? What can we achieve in 3/ 10/ 30 years?🔮 www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2026/09/10/v...
greaterauckland.org.nz
A vision realised: what the opening of the CRL means - Greater Auckland
Celebrate! From Sunday 13th September 2026, an actual real Auckland Rapid Transit (ART) network will exist, for us all to use and enjoy! You can see it – and
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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
What would YOU do in your first 100 days as Prime Minister? A series of op-eds at @thepost-nz.bsky.social invites leading New Zealanders to tackle this question; our own Matt Lowrie among them. Today we share his vision with our readers. It's great(er)! 😉 www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2026/09/08/l...
greaterauckland.org.nz
Let's build resilience, reform government and reimagine our cities - Greater Auckland
The Post has been running a series of think-pieces on how to fix the country, and
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Wayne Brown on the mark here businessdesk.co.nz/article/infr...
businessdesk.co.nz
Wayne Brown says Labour should cancel 'idiotic' Warkworth to Te Hana expressway
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is urging the Labour Party to cancel the Warkworth to Te Hana expressway if it wins the election.But Labour maintains the recently co...
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Bryce @brycepearce.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I knew the Warkworth to Te Hana expressway was going to be expensive but, potentially $9 billion expensive I wasn’t expecting. This is just eye watering. @greaterauckland.bsky.social www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2026/09/01/w... l
greaterauckland.org.nz
Warkworth to Te Hana deal to cost us over $9,000,000,000? - Greater Auckland
A few weeks ago, I asked This differs from the ‘nominal value’, aka the amount of money that is actually paid (without adjusting for change in value due to inflation). In the MCERT documents, the brea...
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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
The NZ government rushed to sign us up for one more "Road of National Significance"—but with zero transparency on what it'll actually cost us all, by the time it's paid off. So @connorsharp.bsky.social has done the grim maths. Hold onto your hats, folks! 😬 www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2026/09/01/w...
greaterauckland.org.nz
Warkworth to Te Hana deal to cost us over $9,000,000,000? - Greater Auckland
A few weeks ago, I asked This differs from the ‘nominal value’, aka the amount of money that is actually paid (without adjusting for change in value due to inflation). In the MCERT documents, the brea...
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Akl City Centre Residents' Group @ccrg.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
We are kicking off the election season with our triennial meet the candidates Event. City centre edition. 16/9. events.humanitix.com/meet-the-can... Ellen Melville. Moderator Simon Wilson
events.humanitix.com
Meet The Candidates - 2026 General Election
Hear the 2026 Candidates make their pitch to Auckland city centre residents, and have an opportunity to ask your questions.
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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Transport funding is in a real mess, and it looks like things will only get worse: www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2026/08/31/e...
greaterauckland.org.nz
Election silly season bulldozes sensible transport policy (again) - Greater Auckland
Last week it was deeply frustrating to see major parties of both the That dark line cutting across the future expenditure is what will happen to transport funding if the government – of whichever stri...
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
How much money? Over 10 years could be $10-20 billion
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
We are slightly screwed if we do raise FED/RUC next year, and we are completely fucked if we don't. There literally won't be enough in the transport fund to cover maintenance, renewals of transport infrastructure, as well as public transport operations etc within a year or two.
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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Agree. Both National and Labour should know they can't keep letting the real value of the National Land Transport Fund decline without severe consequences. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
rnz.co.nz
'Flabbergasted': Road freight lobby criticises fuel excise deferral
The road freight industry says the country will be digging itself a deeper hole if governments continue to put off or cancel increases to fuel excise.
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
If Labours not going to cancel Warkworth to Te Hana to do this (all of the advice says the govt needs to raise FED/RUC to afford that atrocious project), then this is just a promise to use hospital and school money to fund Nationals dumb roads www.labour.org.nz/news/release...
labour.org.nz
Release: National must cancel fuel tax hikes for Kiwis
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
From 2011 on the RoNS www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-pos...
stuff.co.nz
null | Stuff
The cost of the Wellington to Levin expressway outweighs the benefits, writes Michael Pickford.The Government's Roads of National Significance programme involves a very large investment outlay ...
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Kent Duston @kentduston.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I reckon it’s a distraction from the fact central government collects 91 cents of every tax dollar, leaving only 9 cents in local government. They want to talk about the 9 cents because they really really don’t want to talk about the 91 cents
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Damian Light @damianlight.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
And annual budget consultations. And Long term plan consultations. And Local Board Plan consultations. Far more than we get out of Central Government who ram legislation through under urgency.
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
We have a referendum on rates levels every three years... called an election. Holy heck wtf is wrong with central government parties on this
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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Average Annual Unitary charges for the Warkworth to Te Hana PPP are $290million per year... ...for 25 years which is a total of $7.25 billion Plus the Crown Loan of $1.6 billion (not including interest) Means the cost of the project and PPP is likely $9billion+ businessdesk.co.nz/article/tran...
businessdesk.co.nz
Govt to pay average $290m annually for Warkworth to Te Hana
The Government will on average be paying $290 million a year for 25 years to the Northway consortium, which is building the Warkworth to Te Hana expressway, pos...
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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
We had questions about Monday's announcement of a fresh way forward for the Waitematā Harbour Crossing. So we asked; and the Minister responded. And now we have some *more* questions about whether this approach is genuinely new, or déjà vu all over again: www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2026/08/19/a...
greaterauckland.org.nz
A response from the Minister on the Harbour Crossing reset - Greater Auckland
After the Government’s announcement of a revised approach to planning the next Waitematā Harbour Crossing,
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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
While the government attempts a reset of the Waitematā harbour crossing conversation, let’s take a trip down memory lane… This Greater Auckland post by Matt Lowrie from 2019 rounds up some of the many designs put forward over the last couple of decades: www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2019/06/05/a...
Images from a 1988 study was for the Auckland Regional Authority, done by Maunsell (now subsidary of AECOM), Parsons Brinckerhoff and the Ministry of Works and Development. They show possible bridges landing in Wynyard Quarter, and at Bledisloe Wharf.  Images from a 1997 study undertaken for the Auckland Regional Council by Opus. It shows a long viaduct and bridge carving across Devonport, having already crossed Bayswater.
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