Speak up to get road chaos fixed

By GEORGE WOOD*

Sick and tired of being stuck in traffic snarl-ups, whether during the working year or at holiday time? The time has come for you to tell your parliamentary representatives what you think.

There is no doubt that considerable progress was made over the past 12 months in putting together complex plans for advancing the transport issues. Plans, however, are not going to get us far if we do not have the finance in place.

The Auckland Mayoral Forum brought together a comprehensive package of roading and public transport projects at the start of last year. The mayors and the chairman of the Auckland Regional Council were determined to complete the integrated network across the Auckland region by 2007.

When submitted to the regional land transport committee, made up of representatives of central and local government roading and transport providers and interested parties such as the Automobile Association, the package was given good support.

In essence, this transport package is completing the regional land transport strategy which all local authorities of the region signed in 1999.

If fully implemented, the plans will result in completion of a full motorway network, including firm planning for a third crossing of the Waitemata Harbour.

In tandem with the roading upgrade, public transport across Auckland will also make major advancements with: construction starting on the North Shore busway; new rail rolling stock on the Auckland metro passenger system; opening of the Britomart rail station and upgrading of stations on the metro lines; double tracking of the metro line to Waitakere; and major improvements to the ferry terminals.

The questions that must now be addressed relate to the sequence of the work and the organising of finance. Ensuring there is enough money is the one sticking point that must be resolved.

Ultimately the finance issue can only be resolved by central Government, and that is where you, the citizens of the Auckland region, can play a vital role.

The Government gave the "green light" by bringing forward a bill that will enable alternative means to finance these projects. The Land Transport Management Bill has a closing date of February 28 for submissions. The transport and industrial relations select committee reports back to Parliament on June 9.

It is essential that the Auckland region speaks in a firm and united voice to the lawmakers in Wellington. Check the internet at www.gp.nz.wooc/npaper/select-committee-bills.html for more details. Every submission will help. Talk with your local MP about how you can make a submission.

The Government has offered Auckland a golden opportunity to use innovative new funding methods to get many of these projects on stream.

Instead of following the traditional pay-as-you-go system, we would be able to debt fund. This is a funding mechanism used extensively overseas. It will enable us to get on with the job.

How the debt funding will be implemented is not clear at this stage but it could involve a number of scenarios including paying for the capital and interest costs from projected revenue streams from future petrol tax, tolling of new highways, or perhaps an additional regional tax on vehicle fuel.

Whatever the method of financing the new infrastructure, it is apparent there will be a cost. The people of the Auckland region have made it clear that they don't see the cost implications as something that should delay implementation.

Aucklanders need to make their wishes clearly known. It is then the responsibility of both central and local government to deliver.

Aucklanders have experienced some of the disruption that will result from work on the motorway system. The restricted roadway between Grafton Gully and Gillies Ave on the Southern Motorway illustrates the pressures that the level of work proposed will have on the system. Unfortunately, there will be no gain without some pain.

This is an exciting time for the Auckland region. All Aucklanders now have an opportunity to tell their MPs that we have had enough of the rhetoric. We now want action and expect our legislators to put in place appropriate laws to assist to achieve good outcomes. Please take the opportunity to have your say.

* George Wood is the Mayor of North Shore City and chairman of the Auckland Mayoral Forum.

Herald feature: Getting Auckland moving