Important year for Auckland-Government partnership

The Auckland Mayoral Forum held in Manukau City today highlighted the continuing partnership between Auckland and the Labour Progressive Government on addressing the region's transport issues, said Auckland Issues and Associate Transport Minister Judith Tizard.

"The year ahead involves a huge amount of work on transport for Auckland's local authorities and for the government," said Judith Tizard. "Today's Auckland Mayoral Forum was extremely positive. An enormous amount of detailed work has been done by Auckland's councils since the government announced its major transport package proposal in December."

The proposal includes a funding and governance package amounting to an extra $1.62 billion over ten years for Auckland, and the formation of one organisation with responsibility for Auckland transport issues, to be called the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA).

"This ten-year package will have to gain support not only in Auckland but across New Zealand and across the political spectrum if it is to stand the test of time and deliver the infrastructure and economic returns that we believe will come out of it for the benefit of all," said Judith Tizard.

"There is a large amount of complex detail that has to be worked through, and we recognise that this is a local body election year. We are pleased that Auckland's elected representatives are all demonstrating a real will to get on with the job at hand.

"Auckland is seizing the opportunity that the government has put to it to make the package work well for Auckland. We look forward to the Auckland Mayoral Forum response being presented to Ministers in the near future."

Judith Tizard added that progress on Auckland's roading and passenger transport continues to move ahead. "Transit New Zealand has just announced that it expects to begin work next month on the North Shore's $35 million Esmonde Road Bus Interchange. Similarly the massive Grafton Gully to Port project and Spaghetti Junction Stage 2 upgrade are well on track."

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

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