First contract for Britomart gets yes vote

By BERNARD ORSMAN

Auckland City Council has voted overwhelmingly to proceed with the first big contract on the $211 million Britomart transport project, days before the local council elections.

The deal with Downer Construction to build stage one for $96,644,411 is likely to be signed on Friday. Polls to elect a new council close on Saturday.

Auckland Mayor Christine Fletcher failed to get unanimous backing for acceptance of the tender when David Hay voted against the motion and Juliet Yates abstained.

Both are candidates for the Auckland Citizens & Ratepayers Now ticket, which is pro-road. In addition, they both have the backing of the anti-rail Auckland Business Forum*.

Juliet Yates said she regretted the council was entering into a contract of this size so near the closing of the polls.

Her concerns were shared by Auckland mayoral candidate John Banks, who said it was a constitutional outrage and a kneejerk reaction from Mrs Fletcher to get re-elected at all costs.

Mrs Fletcher was one of 18 councillors who voted to proceed with the Britomart transport terminal at the foot of Queen St. The decision ended nine years of political gamesmanship, planning and delays.

She welcomed the sense of achievement for all those who had worked to bring Britomart to this point.

"Britomart will be the driver of a viable and user-friendly public transport network for Auckland, to relieve congestion on the streets and give people a real choice in how they travel to and from work, for business and entertainment," she said.

Britomart is the "hub" of a planned $1.2 billion transport system for Auckland that includes new rail services south to Papakura and west to Swanson, the North Shore busway and a central city light-rail loop.

Deputy Mayor and City Vision leader Dr Bruce Hucker described the start on Britomart as a milestone for the council.

"Britomart has undergone a radical reshaping, and it's my view and the view of City Vision councillors that this process has gone well," he said.

Downer business development manager Martin Reilly said work would begin in the next two weeks on building the underground train station behind the old Chief Post Office.

It will involve digging a 12 metre-deep trench stretching 150m from the back of the post office to Britomart Place.

He said the contract would create about 200 jobs.

The underground train station will have four commuter tracks and one inter-city track, with provision for two light-rail tracks in future.

The big dig will cause months of disruption to businesses and motorists as contractors cart fill to landfills, and possibly to be used for the expansion of nearby Fergusson Wharf.

Further contracts to renovate the Chief Post Office and build an underground subway, which could

* CORRECTION: In the original version of this report, we incorrectly indicated that the Auckland Business Forum supported all candidates of the Auckland Citizens & Ratepayers Now ticket.

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