This Government bill restructures Auckland's transport system: it establishes an Auckland Regional Transport Committee for strategic planning, transfers most transport functions from Auckland Transport to Auckland Council, gives local boards decision-making over local transport, and reforms Auckland Transport's role. It was enacted as the Local Government (Auckland Council) (Transport Governance) Amendment Act 2026.
Parliament advanced this bill under urgency (committee of whole house, first reading) — moving it through faster than usual, with less time than normal for public submissions.
This bill restructures how Auckland's transport system is governed. It shifts most transport functions — road controlling authority status, transport planning and delivery of capital projects such as roads — from the council-controlled organisation Auckland Transport to Auckland Council itself, so elected councillors have direct control. Auckland Transport becomes a smaller body focused mainly on delivering public transport (buses, trains and ferries). Local boards gain new say over local roads, speed limits, parking and cycleways, and a new Auckland Regional Transport Committee, with council and government-appointed members, would set a long-term (about 30-year) transport plan. It affects Auckland ratepayers, elected members and how billions of dollars of transport spending are decided.
It amends the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act and is a Government bill championed by National ministers Chris Bishop and Simeon Brown, aligned with Mayor Wayne Brown's push. It reflects long-running frustration that Auckland Transport, an unelected agency, made major decisions with limited democratic accountability. Supporters argue it "restores democracy," giving voters direct influence over transport through their councillors and improving value for money. Critics worry that folding a large arm's-length agency into the council could politicise transport decisions, disrupt project delivery, and that elected members may lack the specialist technical expertise the standalone body provided.
See the Parliament.nz ↗ site for the full bill.