23 November 2012

National’s transport policy a recipe for Auckland gridlock

A new report shows that investing in the Auckland City Rail Link needs to be a priority for the government’s transport budget ahead of its uneconomic so-called Roads of National Significance, Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said today.

A leaked draft report into transport options for Auckland’s CBD shows peak hour traffic will slow to walking speed in a decade. It assesses options to increase capacity - more buses on surface streets, a bus tunnel, and the City Rail Link – and finds that the City Rail Link delivers most value for money and is the only option to deliver the extra capacity needed to cope with growing traffic volumes in coming decades.

“This report makes it clear that National’s current plan for Auckland – do nothing – will lead to gridlock within a decade. The most-cost efficient alternative to get Auckland moving is the City Rail Link,” said Ms Genter.

“The National Government is spending billions on highways that have low traffic volumes while neglecting to invest in Auckland. Projects like the billion dollar Transmission Gully, the half billion dollar Kapiti Expressway, and the $1.7 billion Holiday Highway are incredibly uneconomic and will only induce more traffic heading into our cities’ CBDs, adding to congestion once they get there.

“The priority for taxpayer transport dollars must be smart, green projects that deliver best value for money and make our cities better places to live. The City Rail Link passes that test; uneconomic highways do not.

“The Greens will get the City Rail Link built so that Aucklanders, whether they use the train or not, benefit from reduced congestion and a more liveable city.

“We face a stark choice in 2014: vote for National and see the city grind to a halt, or vote Green and getting Auckland moving,” said Ms Genter.

ends

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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>