1 July 2004

Media Release
Transit Auckland Regional Office

Transit to conduct survey on Orewa to Puhoi toll road proposal

Transit New Zealand will conduct a survey later this month on its plans to toll the proposed extension of the northern motorway between Orewa and Puhoi.

The survey is designed to capture the views of people who live, work or study in close geographical proximity to the route.

Under the Land Transport Management Act 2003, Transit must apply to the Minister of Transport for an Order in Council to establish a toll road. In considering the application, the Minister must take into account a number of matters, including the consultation conducted and whether he is satisfied there is a high degree of support for the toll road from “affected communities”.

Those who are affected by the activity because they work, live or study in close geographic proximity to the proposed toll road are considered the “affected community”.

The results of both the survey and the wider public consultation that Transit is currently undertaking will be presented to the Minister of Transport for consideration in determining whether to approve an Order in Council giving permission to toll the road.

“The survey is an additional measure that will ensure we’ve captured the views of the affected community as a specific group,” says Wayne McDonald, Transit’s Auckland Regional Manager.

“We have taken care to develop a rigorous survey methodology and to design a questionnaire that does not take up too much of people’s time. We look forward to a high level of public cooperation to achieve a full response.”

A fieldwork company has been engaged to conduct the door-to-door survey. Professional interviewers will be calling on randomly selected households to separately interview each person there that is 16 years and over. The questionnaire is short – it takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. There will also be a separate survey of work places, to include people who work in the area but do not live there.

The interviewers will carry ID cards and leave contact information if no one is at home when they first visit. Members of the selected households can contact the fieldwork company to arrange a convenient time for the interviewer to call back including in the evenings. There will also be weekend interviewing to cover people who do not live in the area all the time.

Transit has also received around 400 submissions as part of its public consultation process, which started on 4 June. “We’re encouraged by the high level of interest people are showing. We’ve received submissions from a broad cross-section of the community,” said Mr McDonald.

As part of the consultation process to date, Transit has:
- Placed public notices in daily newspapers nationwide, and in local papers
- Mail-dropped an information flyer (including a submission form) and a newsletter on the proposals to around 24,000 households in the wider Rodney District, including Waiwera, Puhoi, Warkworth and other communities north of Orewa beach
- Sent letters to 450 key stakeholder and local interest groups inviting further enquiries and meetings
- Held a number of briefings and meetings, including a public meeting in Orewa on 15 May
- Provided full details, including a submission form and the consultation briefing document, on www.transit.govt.nz/alpurt_b2
- Opened a public information office in Orewa
- Issued media releases outlining the proposals and the consultation process.
Submissions close on 5 July. The submissions will be analysed during July and public hearings held in August.

If approval to toll the road is received, the Orewa to Puhoi motorway will be the first state highway project in New Zealand to be advanced by tolling under the Land Transport Management Act. Construction could start as early as December 2004.

ENDS

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