Good question ..
.
Sign on a traffic pole:

Been waiting long?
That's because the council thinks someone in a car, half a kilometer away, is more important than you*.
They could make the lights change as soon as you press the button if they wanted, but they don't.
Complain to them 07 3403 4400.
A car moving at 50km/hr will travel almost half a kilometer in 30 seconds.

@RustyFreewheel Depending on the amount of cars, I ignore the lights. If I feel I can walk and or cycle over the road safely without waiting on the lights, I do. But we don't have "jaywalking laws" around here so YMMV.