High-powered transport team to get region going

By BERNARD ORSMAN

Labour Party president Mike Williams and supermarket supremo Ted van Arkel are among the names on a new transport body with the huge task of building a modern, fast and efficient public transport system and getting Auckland moving.

Eight people have been appointed to the board of the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (Arta), trumpeted by the Government to plan, fund and implement the region's bus, rail, ferry services and local roads.

The new board was announced yesterday by Auckland Regional Council chairwoman Gwen Bull, who praised its mix of private and public sector professionals with experience in engineering, law, finance, retail, resource management and politics.

The authority will wide responsibilities, from identifying and establishing new public transport services to promoting walking school buses, but will not be responsible for physical improvements to local roads, which will remain with local councils. Transit New Zealand will keep control of motorways and state highways.

One of its first jobs will be to produce a 10-year land transport project for all public transport and roading projects in the region.

The authority was established on July 1 but it will not start work until January 1. A search has begun for a chief executive. Most staff will come from its parent body, the ARC.

Mrs Bull said more than 100 people applied for the board. The Government-appointed establishment chairman, former Housing NZ chief executive Brian Roche, would stay on until a board chairman was appointed in the next three months, she said.

The ARC last month announced directors to the board of another new subsidiary, Auckland Regional Holdings, set up to provide funding for Arta and stormwater projects with $1.362 billion of regional assets from its forerunner, Infrastructure Auckland.

The directors are ARC councillor Judith Bassett, former Montana boss Peter Hubscher, former Infrastructure Auckland director Dr Joce Jesson, Transpower director Susan Paterson and former Infrastructure Auckland chairman John Robertson.

The board

Ted van Arkel, managing director of Progressive Enterprises.

Peter Brothers, dean of Auckland University school of engineering.

Tony Parsons, civil engineer who oversaw Watercare's $450 million Mangere treatment plant upgrade.

Rabin Rabindran, barrister specialising in public sector and large infrastructure projects.

Gary Taylor, resource management and government relations consultant.

Richard Waddel, Pharmac chairman, former chief executive and chairman of Ernst & Young.

Mike Williams, Labour Party president, Transit board member.

Adrienne Young Cooper, director and principal of planning and public policy consultancy, Hill Young Cooper.

Chas Cable, corporate consultant and former Macquarie New Zealand director