A greenprint for transport in Rodney

Green party candidate proposes better uses of $200 million of the auckland regional fuel tax.

David Hay, Green candidate for Rodney, is critical of the Rodney District Council's recent handling of Penlink.

"This month the Rodney District Council held its first public meeting on Penlink funding for more than 10 years. But it still hasn't released public information on the costs, the funding sources, the financial risks to Rodney, or the risks to the government of this project" he says.

"More importantly, there has been no credible assessment of how this regional fuel tax funding could improve public transport services." "The Greens propose that a $200 million investment in public transport improvements in Rodney would be provide far greater value for money, and benefit a far greater number of Rodney's residents, than spending the same amount on Penlink. Potentially valuable capital investments would include:

* A park and ride busway station at Silverdale, to service the Hibiscus Coast and Northern Rodney. * Busway stations at Silverdale North, Orewa and Whangaparaoa, similar North Shore's Sunnynook Busway station. * Widening parts of Whangaparaoa Road, especially the stretch between Red Beach Road and the Hibiscus Coast Highway, to create a bus-priority, high occupancy vehicle lane like those on the North Shore."

"Increased operational funding could also benefit residents of northern Rodney, who are currently deprived of public transport services. For instance, there are currently no scheduled bus services from Auckland to Warkworth, and no train service to Wellsford."

"Now that the government has decided to impose a regional fuel tax, the Greens expect a high standard of transparency and public accountability in deciding how it will be spent. This should include a careful evaluation of different investment options" he says.

"The Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons has recently written to the Minister of Transport under the Official Information Act. We are seeking evidence that the Penlink funding decision is legally compliant with section 65M of the Land Transport Management Act.

We will step up the pressure on both the Minister and Rodney District Council to release the secret Penlink business case" says Mr Hay.

ENDS

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