John Banks steers towards another term

By BERNARD ORSMAN

Auckland City Mayor John Banks has outlined his plans for a second term, including progress on the region's roading and public transport network, building an indoor arena at Quay Park and a $25 million upgrade of Queen St.

In a State of Auckland address to the Property Council yesterday, Mr Banks set a modified course to the "roads, roads, roads" policy he embarked on 28 months ago.

The former National minister, who ridiculed public transport and the Britomart project, in particular, at the 2001 local body elections, has come to see public transport as an important part of easing the region's worsening traffic congestion.

In fact, he said a toll should be reintroduced on the Auckland Harbour Bridge - an idea he floated last year - on the day the North Shore busway opened, to give people an incentive to get out of their cars and on to public transport.

Mr Banks said he would have a great story to tell on the hustings and welcomed all challengers.

Former Mayor Christine Fletcher last week said she would campaign fulltime to regain the job she lost to Mr Banks by 15,000 votes, and her top priority would be completion of a central transport corridor plan, including trams in the central city.

City Vision leader Dr Bruce Hucker also is expected to put his hat in the ring after receiving the unanimous backing of the City Vision steering group.

The former deputy mayor said yesterday that he had a little more planning to do before announcing his plans in two to three weeks. Mrs Fletcher's decision to stand had no impact on his plans.

Mr Banks said the council, controlled by himself, nine Auckland Citizens & Ratepayers Now councillors, plus independents Bill Christian and Geoff Abbott, had taken some tough and unpopular decisions in the first 90 days. This included selling the council's pensioner housing to the Government for $83 million, and half the council's Auckland airport shares for $190 million.

These decisions had left the council debt free, instead of facing a projected debt of $371 million.

Mr Banks said the council had the region's lowest rate increases, but made no mention of having backed Auckland Citizens & Ratepayers Now's broken election promise to freeze rates for three years.

The council has held the overall rates rise to the rate of inflation but, under a move to flat charges, the 31,000 poorest householders in Auckland City last year were hit with rises of 16 per cent.

Mr Banks said good progress was being made on the eastern highway, a $700 million shopping centre development at Newmarket and a $300 million above-ground heritage and urban renewal project at Britomart.

Coming up was $1 billion of investment at Auckland University's Tamaki campus, the Southern Hemisphere's largest shopping centre, at Sylvia Park, and 8000 homes at the Mt Wellington quarry.

"The council's story is a good one. We have achieved more in the past term than any other administration in the past 25 years," Mr Banks said.

Dr Hucker said he did not think that Mr Banks and Auckland Citizens & Ratepayers Now's performance had made any significant contribution to economic prosperity in Auckland.

Where changes were taking place it was because of the performance of the economy generally.

Banks' agenda

* Bring back tolls on the Harbour Bridge

* Build a $3 billion eastern motorway

* Build an indoor arena at Quay Park

* Clean up Queen St