Simeon Brown with National leader Christopher Luxon. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
National has slammed Let's Get Wellington Moving for paying its staff high wages, claiming it is also failing to deliver on fixing the city's transport congestion.
Figures from Transport Minister David Parker, from a written Parliamentary question, show its 37 employees - a mixture of Waka Kotahi and Wellington City Council staff - earn an average salary of $148,736.
Trade Me figures show Wellingtonians earn an average salary of around $73,000 a year.
Meanwhile, data from the Public Service Commission shows public servants are paid around $95,000 a year for men and $88,000 for women.
National transport spokesperson Simeon Brown said wages for staff at Let's Get Wellington moving were unjustified.
A rendering of what the Golden Mile upgrades could look like. Photo: Let's Get Wellington Moving
"Well, I think what the taxpayer of New Zealand wants is delivery, Let's Get Wellington Moving has only delivered a pedestrian crossing on Cobham Drive when in reality it hasn't delivered any of the major transport projects this government said they would do six years ago.
"Wellingtonians and New Zealanders expect delivery from their public servants."
He said tens of millions had been spent on nothing.
"New Zealanders expect delivery, not just endless working groups and consulting reports, and New Zealanders - particularly in Wellington - deserve to have the transport infrastructure that they need built rather than working groups constantly wasting money."
Brown said the lack of action was why National planned to scrap the $7.4 billion transport programme if elected in October.
In a written statement, Let's Get Wellington Moving programme director Sarah Gardner said the programme required extensive skills and experience of technical disciplines.
"Because of the nature of the programme, almost all the employees in the core programme team are experienced senior practitioners.
"The labour market for expertise in the programme is competitive. Skills are in demand because of the considerable amount of investment in large infrastructure projects nation-wide."
