KEY POINTS:
Auckland City is taking the unusual step of putting motorway construction plans in Transit NZ's $230 million duplication of its Manukau Harbour crossing to a public hearing.
Transit backed away last year from building a controversial motorway interchange at Onehunga as part of the project, to reduce a risk that legal challenges may prevent it from completing the crossing in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
After a complex hearing of its bid to extend a land designation, to allow it to double the width of the four-lane motorway along Onehunga Bay, Transit withdrew its application in favour of a simplified project.
It believed that by widening the motorway within its original designation, it would not be bound by 10 mitigating conditions demanded by planning commissioners.
These included moving the motorway closer to the harbour to retain trees on its landward side, and providing a pedestrian "green bridge" over the traffic to enhance access largely cut off to the foreshore by the 1970s designation.
But the agency is now faced with having an outline plan of works, which it submitted last week to Auckland City, subjected to a hearing by another panel of commissioners.
City development committee chairman Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga said he was not at liberty to comment on the content of the outline plan, but community interest in the project was such that a transparent hearing was desirable.
But Mr Lotu-Iiga, a local Maungakiekie ward councillor, said the August hearing would be between his council and Transit, and public submissions could not be accepted.
Two independent commissioners and one councillor would be appointed.
Even so, he acknowledged the hearing was likely to be closely scrutinised by the Onehunga community and the motorway should be considered as just one element of a long-term masterplan to be developed by the city and Auckland Regional Council.
The council has also claimed a 40-day allowance for its officers to assess Transit's application, rather than a more standard 20 days.
Transit northern capital projects manager Sumi Eratne said the agency would have preferred a faster process, and had never before had an outline plan of works put to a public hearing.
He believed having independent commissioners involved in a transparent process "will be quite good".
He noted the city council could only recommend changes to the plan, which would be for Transit to decide whether to accept.
Although he hoped the process would not delay the start of construction work on the Auckland side of the harbour in September or October, Mr Lotu-Iiga confirmed either party could resort to the Environment Court if unhappy with what the commissioners recommend.
