MEDIA RELEASE

11 March 2013

NZ Transport Agency – Auckland Regional Office

Schools’ festival will put pressure on Auckland motorway

The NZ Transport Agency says there will be more pressure than in previous years on sections of Auckland’s Southern Motorway (State highway 1) when the annual ASB Polyfest begins later this week in Manukau.

The NZTA’s Traffic Operations Manager, Kathryn Musgrave, says the growth of the festival at the Manukau Sports Bowl, limited parking, and significant works to lay a new watermain in nearby streets will combine to put pressure on the Te Irirangi Drive interchange – the nearest motorway exit to the event.

“There will be a lot of congestion around this section of the Southern Motorway and it will be heaviest at Te Irirangi Drive. Queuing is likely back on to the motorway, which will be a risk to all drivers,” says Mrs Musgrave. “It will be an area to avoid, especially at mid-morning on all four days of the event. Delays are likely and we would advise all drivers to plan the time of their journeys or use an alternative route.

The ASB Polyfest – which starts on Wednesday (13 March) - is the largest Maori and Polynesian cultural festival of its kind in the world. Performers from almost 60 schools will be involved and spectator numbers are expected to total 90 thousand.

The NZTA will use its motorway message signs and social media like Twitter to keep people informed of conditions near the interchange.

“We will be doing everything we can to prevent any delays, and we ask for drivers to be patient. The Polyfest is a great celebration of our country’s cultural diversity and we also want it to be a safe for everyone,” says Mrs Musgrave.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On The 2013 Budget

Among Thursday’s main talking points:

We are apparently on track for a margin-of-error $75 million surplus, now in sight for 2014/15. But this sickly creature is hobbling out of the lab on the basis of all kinds of facilitative conjuring: such as trimming by $200 million the amount of new spending next time around.

With this strictly nominal surplus in sight, the 1984-ish justification for eternal austerity will have a news talisman: namely, getting Crown debt down to 20% of GDP by 2020. More>>

Budget Report, Lockup Audio & Images: Budget Day 2013 As always and especially after the managerial mishaps of the past few weeks and months, (e.g. Aaron Gilmore, the Mighty River Power share float, the GCSB mishaps) Budget Day 2013 was always going to be a pageant of reassurance... More>>

Budget 2013 Comment: Plain Sailing, But It's No America's Cup Pattrick Smellie: Compared to the last four budgets, this year's reflects an economy moving out of recession and into calmer waters... Yet if the fastest annual growth rate we can expect over the next two years is 3 percent - with the Christchurch rebuild in full swing - then you'd have to say New Zealand's underlying low-growth problem is far from fixed. More>>

Auckland Discord: Govt’s Power Hungry Housing Approach A Threat - Labour

Last week the Government said this, ‘The Government commits not to use any proposed or existing powers ... to override the council's planning and consenting processes’. But its housing Bill says this; ‘If an accord cannot be reached in an area of severe housing unaffordability, the Government can intervene by establishing special housing areas and issuing consents for developers’. More>>

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Housing accords legislation passes first reading - Legislation For Housing Accords, Land Supply - Housing package improves affordability, access
• Greens - Budget numbers show National’s failure on home affordability
• Auckland Chamber of Commerce - Budget 2013: Housing intervention needed
• Out-Link - Gareth Morgan: Response to housing problem limp-wristed
• Earlier, Pre-Budget - Auckland Accord announced

Extending Protest Ban, Relaxing Permit Rules: Govt Abuses Urgency To Extend Anadarko Amendment

The Government is trying to pass legislation under urgency which would make the Anadarko Amendment – which limits protest at sea – apply to an additional 1.7 million square kilometres, the Green Party said today. More>>

ALSO:

• Parliament Today - Parliament Resumes To Pass Budget Bills
• Labour - Government to extend protest ban
• Greenpeace NZ - Oil Companies Lacking ‘Expertise’ and ‘Financial Ability’ Set to Be Handed Drilling Permits
• 2010 image via: Pacific.Scoop - Media watcher gives NZ press nil score card for China oil spill coverage