Walkway tests pull of local boards

Mayor Len Brown opened the Wairepo Swamp walkway linking Sandringham Rd to Eden Park. Photo / Richard Robinson

Auckland Mayor Len Brown is distancing himself from the first power struggle between a local board and a council-controlled organisation, over a $3 million Rugby World Cup project.

Mr Brown opened the Wairepo Swamp walkway linking Sandringham Rd to Eden Park on Saturday after promising to give local boards responsibility for local roads, footpaths and pedestrian zones.

He said the walkway was "clearly the responsibility of Auckland Transport ... but in matters such as these which are clearly of local concern, I would expect Auckland Transport to listen to local boards".

The mega-transport CCO has dismissed a call by the Albert-Eden Local Board to limit the narrow walkway to pedestrians, fearing 1700 vehicles a day sharing it with hundreds of children from a nearby childcare centre, intermediate school and swim school is a dangerous mix.

A spokeswoman for Auckland Transport said the CCO was prepared to listen to the concerns of the local board, but it was designed as a shared space by the previous Auckland City Council with public consultation "and we will implement it as it was designed".

Albert-Eden board chairman Dr Peter Haynes said: "We're not seeing a lot of responsiveness from certain officials to local residents' concerns and interests".

Politicians from the Prime Minister down told Aucklanders that local boards would have real clout in the Super City structure. John Key promised "community control of what matters in our community".

One source involved with the walkway said the "CCO officials in particular haven't changed their modus operandi, and treated local residents and their elected representatives with contempt".

The New Zealand Transport Agency provided a 53 per cent subsidy for the walkway on the proviso it was a shared space. If motor vehicles were banned, the agency could review this funding.

Kowhai Intermediate School principal Paul Douglas did not object to motorists sharing the walkway with pedestrians and saw benefits for cars being able to leave the swim school towards Mt Eden without having to pull out on to Sandringham Rd.

But Mr Douglas said if he was a resident he would not appreciate the walkway being used as a shortcut in the afternoon rush hour or the "late night antics if drivers decide to use it as an opportunity to lay wheelies on the pristine white concrete".

Former swimming champion Trent Bray, who manages the Trent Bray Swim School catering for about 450 children most days, wanted the walkway kept for pedestrians.

Eden Park Neighbours' Association president Mark Donnelly said residents were never consulted on the pedestrian versus shared space issue.

Albert-Eden-Roskill councillor Dr Cathy Casey wanted the walkway restricted to pedestrians, and the second ward councillor Christine Fletcher - who sits on the Auckland Transport board - wanted the board to be briefed by the CCO on all the facts. Two safety audits had not found any significant issues with the design, she said.

Nearly everyone agrees the walkway, which doubles as an artwork by prominent artist Billy Apple, is a striking project that will provide easier walking access for 5000 to 10,000 fans going to Eden Park via Kingsland.