At last, some action to get Auckland moving

The one bright spot in a year of transport woes is an action plan to finish Auckland's motorway network and improve public transport, writes MICHAEL BARNETT*.

Businesses campaigned long and hard for the election of local politicians committed to faster completion of the region's long-planned transport corridor network.

So it is pleasing to learn that the region's four city mayors have wasted little time since October's election in signing up to an action plan to move ahead with urgency on vital transport projects.

The mayoral strategy integrates roading and public transport projects that have sat on regional transport plans in some cases for more than 30 years.

It proposes innovative private-sector funding methods to make it happen quickly.

The mayoral intentions are clear - no more excuses, no more delays!

On the roading front, the strategy envisions fast-track completion of the regional motorway network:

* The State Highway 20 western bypass and State Highway18 upper harbour route to allow north-south traffic to completely avoid Spaghetti Junction and bypass central Auckland and the stressed Southern Motorway.

* The long-proposed eastern corridor to provide a State Highway 21 motorway route from the CBD to east Auckland and on to Manukau.

* Grafton Gully, Spaghetti Junction and St Marys Bay-Victoria Park upgrades of the Southern Motorway.

* North Shore's rapid busway to central Auckland, with busway options in all other regional roading projects at concept stage - not as clip-ons as we are currently doing.

On the rail front, the strategy supports the crown purchase of the corridors.

It then backs actions to upgrade suburban heavy rail and stations and to complete three extensions to the rail network - a line from the downtown railway station to Britomart, a link into the centre of Manukau City, and double-tracking the line to Swanson.

The intention is clear and welcomed by business - no more talk of expensive light rail but a pragmatic upgrade of the existing heavy rail to create the basic network needed to enable a regional commuter service that doesn't cost the earth and will attract passengers.

The bottom line for business is completion of the motorway network by 2007.

The rationale is obvious: Auckland's economy must offer freight and commerce an efficient, first-world roading network, not an incomplete, heavily stressed third-world system liable to gridlock at any time without warning.

With time-costs to businesses from an overcrowded and unreliable network running at more than $1 billion a year, and a perception abroad of Auckland lacking the political leadership needed to solve its transport crisis, it should not be a surprise that businesses have led the campaign for faster action on completing the motorway network.

But businesses acknowledge that Auckland cannot be a truly international city without faster action to also provide an efficient public transport system.

As Auckland Mayor John Banks has passionately stated, the region's leadership to build a world city is at a watershed. It is not business as usual at the council.

To be the home of the America's Cup is a milestone.

But if Auckland is to provide a transport service to meet demand from population and business growth and allow us to aspire to emulate Melbourne and Sydney in this part of the world, as well as host the Olympics, then huge capital expenditure on basic infrastructure must be found - and quickly.

That's the job of business - to provide the innovative funding needed for completing the strategy as soon as possible.

The private sector stands ready to fill the hole. Just look at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane - three cities that have rapidly completed comprehensive transport networks embracing motorways and rapid bus transit carriageways paid for by a combination of public and private-sector funding.

Sydney last month approved a 3.4 km Lane Cove Tunnel project to complete the final link in the city's orbital network.

The estimated $A400 million ($488 million) cost of the six-lane twin tunnel will be paid for from tolls. It is expected to take just three years to build.

Our Government has for some time hinted at legislation to remove restrictions on private-sector funding of transport projects. It is time it acted, despite apparent opposition from some Alliance MPs and the Greens.

A coalition of Auckland National, Act and Labour MPs would be enough to move things forward. So, really, there is no excuse for any more delay.

With the general election looming next year, the balance of advantage clearly lies with Labour forcing the pace. I have no doubt most Aucklanders, whether inclined to Labour, National or Act, want to see action in two to three months.

With an accord for action in place between mayors and business, Wellington politicians no longer have excuses for holding back on Auckland's future.

An option for Auckland is to set up a regional infrastructure bank to use the existing assets of the region to underwrite the borrowing needed to do the projects listed in a five-year, catch-up strategy.

Not just the money from the sale of airport shares, but other assets located in regional nest eggs, such as energy and Infrastructure Auckland, should be used.

What an exciting message this would send to potential investors both overseas and domestically: Auckland as the home of the America's Cup and a seed bed of a world-scale marine industry and other world-class businesses - a place to invest, a place to work, an exciting world city going places.

And relatively easy to get around in, too.

An Auckland bond issue would be quickly oversubscribed, I suggest. With interest rates in the United States and main investment markets at historical lows, coupled with Auckland's unlimited potential as a top business environment, infrastructure projects in Auckland will be an attractive investment proposition.

Come to think of it, if we use our brains, any infrastructure project New Zealand wants to start could be financed from the international market. It would be of enormous benefit in giving New Zealand a kick-start back into the top group of rich countries.

Mayors and business have signed off on the strategy to deliver the vision.

We no longer have excuses for delay and there is no time to lose.

* Michael Barnett is chief executive of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the Auckland Business Forum.

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