The Government's ambitions for transport in Auckland will include better collaboration with Mayor Wayne Brown and getting the existing city rail link project finished after officially ending the city's light rail dream.

The National Party had long promised to do away with Tāmaki Makaurau's light rail connection project, which had already cost taxpayers $228 million over six years before the shovels hit the ground.

Cost estimates predicted the project would hit almost $30 billion before it was completed.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown told Summer Breakfast this morning the money needed to be invested into rapid bus transit around Auckland, its effectiveness proven by the northern busway.

"We've got more we need to do on it, whether it's the eastern busway or the north-western rapid transit, which is the next major priority in Auckland and that's what we're going to be doing in our policy on transport we're drafting," he said.

The eastern busway, running through east Auckland's Panmure to improve gridlocked traffic moving through Pakuranga- Brown's electorate - caused the public a huge amount of issues while it was being built but Brown said that was “part of it”.

"The reality of these projects is there's always construction.

"We need to minimise the disruption to keep traffic moving, but we're providing the Government policy statement on transport at the moment ... and it will be about delivery."

Brown said the first step was to ensure the city rail project, which was launched under the previous National Government, was completed.

"That will substantially increase the number of public transport [options] possible in Auckland on the rail network," he said.

The next steps, Brown said, was to link bus transit with rail and provide greater public transport networking around the city to move large numbers around effectively.

Although yesterday’s announcement focused on public transport and did not mention a second harbour bridge crossing, the transport minister supported the desire to improve the crossing of Auckland Harbour.

"There's clearly a need for more roading investment in Auckland as well," he told Summer Breakfast.

"We're supportive of an additional harbour crossing and there's more work that needs to be done on that too."

Brown said he also backed further work on the east-west link on Mill Rd between Takanini and Manukau and addressing "significant" roading issues in Auckland's west - around fast-growing Kumeu.

He said roading and infrastructure haven't kept up well with growth in West Auckland.

"So yes, we need to invest in roads as well as public transport," he said.

"We'll have a balanced approach to this, the last Government cancelled the Roads of Significance plan, we're going to bring that back - because we think we need to boost economic growth and productivity.

"Good roads are part of that; good quality safe and fast roads help unlock housing growth and other economic possibilities. So that's what our policy statement on transport is going to be focused on."

Brown also promised to improve the amount of consultation involving Auckland Council and the city's mayor, Wayne Brown, who has previously been outspoken on his displeasure with how the city gets left out of central Government decisions.

The transport minister acknowledged a close relationship between the two of them would be important.

"That's something I'm continuing to build," he said.

"I think it's important to understand what the plan for Auckland looks like - obviously central Government has a role to play in that because of the state highway networks; local government has a role to play because it runs the local roads and provides and operates much of the public transport network."

Brown said he would be sitting down with the mayor in the coming weeks and talking at length about plans for improving Auckland's roading infrastructure.