KERRY WILLIAMSON - The Dominion Post | Wednesday, 05 March 2008

The city's sustainability is now set to become a tool in enticing businesses away from Auckland, as the environment becomes as important as their bottom line.

"The sustainable model-city for New Zealand is not Auckland," said Ian Cassels, managing director of The Wellington Company and an advocate of sustainable development.

"Our nation should be thinking differently about its capital city. We should start talking it up."

The study, prepared for development company The Wellington Group and supported by the Property Council of New Zealand, found commuters in the capital use buses, trains, bicycles - and foot power - significantly more than their northern counterparts.

The capital's dependence on public transport gives the city a much smaller carbon footprint.

Mr Cassels said the findings should become part of a wider push to attract corporates to Wellington.

"If you want a future, and it's planned, then you must be sustainable. [Companies] need to start thinking about outsourcing work to Wellington for environmental benefits.

"The Government ought not to be pushing Auckland ... it's just wrong."

The study involved an online survey of more than 1300 staff at 41 job sites in New Zealand.

It found Wellington workers were more likely to use public transport than commuters in often-gridlocked Auckland.

Last year saw a reduction in public transport patronage in Greater Wellington, prompted by decreasing fuel prices, a fare increase and bus service disruptions in the capital in early 2007.

A customer satisfaction survey conducted by Greater Wellington regional council last July found that Wellingtonians were avoiding buses because they were unreliable and inconvenient.

Dissatisfaction could continue this year, with a fare increase planned for the region's Metlink service in early September.

Peter Glensor, chairman of the regional council's transport and access committee, says work is needed to ensure the transport system remains viable.

"It's a competitive edge that we have got to build on. That's why it is such a high priority to get it back into shape again."

ECO-FOOTPRINTS

Among the study's findings were:

* 13 per cent of Wellington workers drive alone compared with 66 per cent in Auckland.

* 16 per cent of Wellington workers travel by bus (Auckland 5 per cent).

* 16 per cent of Wellington workers travel to work by train (Auckland 1 per cent).

* Commuters in the capital also tend to spend part of their morning and evening journeys to and from work on foot - 14 times more likely than Aucklanders.

* Twice as many Wellingtonians walk to work as Aucklanders.

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