Monday 8th May 2000
Richard Prebble
Media Release -- Economy

Auckland's transport crisis will not be resolved until the roading network, as envisaged in the DeLeuw Cather report over 35 years ago, is completed, ACT Leader Richard Prebble said today. "The whole ACT caucus has spent today in Auckland meeting with the Auckland Regional Council, the Auckland City Council, and the Auckland Business Forum," Mr Prebble said. "We've heard an example of how a taxi having a flat tyre on the way to the airport has caused gridlock across Auckland." He said Auckland local body politicians and planners had talked to the caucus about public transport but they did not appear to have any concrete plans. "After years of talks, the local bodies and Tranzrail still have not agreed over basic questions like access to the rail tracks. Everyone agrees that improvements to Auckland's public transport are desirable, but our concern is that public transport itself needs an adequate roading network." Mr Prebble said Auckland should be pushing for the rapid completion of the original roading network. "Transit advised us in a meeting today that the network, which includes ring roads around the top of the harbour and alternative access through the isthumus to Mangere Bridge and an eastern corridor connecting Pakuranga with the CBD all now meet their cost-benefit ratio," he said. "The estimated cost is a little over $1 billion, which everyone agrees is the cost of congestion to Auckland City." He said ACT believed that it was in the national interest that the network be completed, given Auckland's importance economically. "And as the network is completed, public transport can also be upgraded to take advantage of the network." "Funding shouldn't be a problem as Infrastructure Auckland has accumulated funds greater than the total cost of completing the network. "But of course the bulk of the money would come from Transfund because the projects meet the national guidelines," Mr Prebble said. ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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