ARC chief lashes out over link delay

Auckland Regional Council members set aside differences yesterday to gang up on Transit New Zealand for a rapid start to a key motorway link through Avondale.

Left-wing council chairman Mike Lee, stung by claims that his organisation was holding up the $1 billion project in favour of public transport spending, led the charge against Transit to cheers from his right-leaning foes.

The council came under attack after the Auckland Regional Land Transport Committee voted for a 10-year strategic package of spending minus a completed Avondale extension to State Highway 20.

Committee chairman Joel Cayford was at pains to say this merely followed Transit advice that a lack of land designations meant it could not even start building the link until 2010, let alone finish it in the term of a proposed new regional land transport strategy.

"They say that with the best will in the world it can't be completed in 10 years," he told the ARC passenger transport committee, which he also chairs.

Dr Cayford said the committee had backed an Avondale link strongly in submissions to Transit. But Mr Lee said the regional council should not just speak up in support of the link, to correct a mistaken public impression, but should oppose Transit's alleged attempt to delay it.

"We are not a Government department, we are accountable to our own ratepayers - I think we need to be a bit more forceful."

Council member and Auckland Business Forum co-chair Michael Barnett urged the council to propose other funding ideas to Transit, including borrowing.

But Robyn Hughes, elected to the council on the left-wing Residents Action Movement ticket, said she feared funding agency Land Transport New Zealand was trying to "squeeze" the roading budget so tolling became more acceptable to the public.