Can light rail save Mngeres ailing town centre?
To some, the governments light rail project might just mean faster trips to the airport, but for the community of Mngere, it could be an economic game-changer. After four years of political and bureaucratic wrangling, the CBD-to-Mngere light rail project is back on track, with public consultation starting this week  and its potential has got Mngeres leaders excited for the possibilities for the dilapidated town centre. Mngere Town Centre is home to almost 100 shops and services. Toni Helleur has worked for its business association for the last four years. She says the project could be a major socioeconomic game-changer for her suburb. Light rail could bring much-needed new oxygen to the heart of Mngere, she says, adding that it could have ripple effects into the wider community. In March, transport minister Michael Wood announced that an establishment unit will get public input and create a business case to present to government in September. Establishment unit chief executive Tommy Parker says there are few specifics to announce, but two options being considered are running the route exclusively down the motorway corridors or building stations closer to town centres. He says having a station next to Mngeres town centre would generate economic activity but the trade off would mean a more expensive, more disruptive construction as it gets built. Helleur, who also founded the I Am Mngere trust during the first Covid-19 outbreak to support the community, says any disruption caused by such a massive project would be worthwhile. You just have to look at the light at the end of the tunnel because you know what it will be for, she says. The town centre turns 50 this year, and it looks tired, unloved and uninviting. This project could bring a big change to the aesthetics of the town centre, and it could bring in new investment, more enticing shops, and even transform the hospitality sectors as new cafes and restaurants open.  Auckland councillor and Mngere resident Alf Filipaina would also like to see the route be directed past his areas town centre. Overseas research shows that when you have a railway thats available and frequent, you have more businesses investing in the area.  He cites the new shops opening around the Manukau bus station as one example of how transport projects can kickstart benefits for a suburb. Its good for housing, employment and the environment, as light rail gives people options to be able to travel along the route from the city to Mngere for employment, and it means people can leave their cars behind, reducing congestion.  Parker says because this project is being planned in conjunction with council and multiple government departments, theres potential for state-funded development such as housing alongside the transport infrastructure. The idea is to get this jointly planned so the land use and transport is better coordinated, he says. The establishment unit is a collaboration between Auckland Council, Auckland Transport, Waka Kotahi NZTA, Ministry of Transport and Kinga Ora, and they are in there to work together on how to get the collective benefits.  He says its vital locals provide feedback and his team will be at Mngeres Saturday markets, the Mngere Bridge Sunday markets and the tara markets over the coming weeks. We know that some of the communities of South Auckland are the most transport-deprived of anywhere in the city, he says. But theres really been no formal engagement or even communication on this project for many years, so were looking at the questions around why were doing this and what are the potential benefits.  The consultation period, which includes 10 public events and 62,000 brochures sent to residents along the route corridor, ends on August 31; a business case will go to cabinet in September. The public can also provide feedback via the projects website, over the phone (0800 567 847) or by email (lightrail@nzta.govt.nz).