ARC reverses stand on Puhoi toll road

By MATHEW DEARNALEY

Transit NZ has overcome reluctance by the Auckland Regional Council to back its controversial $300 million toll motorway to Puhoi.

Support which the ARC pledged yesterday at hearings in Orewa was sorely needed by the highways agency, which is struggling to find the strong local backing needed for the Government to allow a $1.80 toll.

The change follows assurances to the council by Transit that tolls will raise $839 million to $986 million with inflation over 35 years, but that very few motorists will avoid payments by choosing an alternative free route.

In an earlier submission withholding support, the council said it did not have enough information to assess the effect of tolls on the road's value to the community.

It feared tolls might divert too much traffic from the 7.5km motorway extension on to the alternative Hibiscus Coast Highway, reducing safety and other community benefits of the new road.

But yesterday, with more data from Transit, council strategic policy analyst Duane Burtt said staff thought the benefits of tolls to the regional community were likely to greatly outweigh disadvantages.

"On that basis, the ARC supports the construction of Alpurt [Albany-to-Puhoi realignment] B2 as a toll road."

It was now clear that tolls would generate significant extra revenue, meaning transport funds could be allocated to other priority projects.

Council officers also welcomed environmental additions which Transit announced last week - tunnels rather than a deep cut through the bushclad hill between Waiwera and Puhoi, and a second "eco-viaduct" to allow wildlife to pass under the road.

Hearings chairman Alan Bickers demanded an assurance that yesterday's submission represented regional council policy and not just staff opinion.

"This is particularly important because one of the reasons we are here today is the historical position of the ARC," he said.

His reference was to the regional council's withdrawal of support two years ago for completing the motorway, after Transit assured local people it had money for the entire project without mentioning tolls.

It was reinstated as a priority project for the region only after the Mayor of Rodney, John Law, boycotted regional land transport committee meetings.

Mr Burtt said time constraints meant the full council had not seen the latest submission, but officers had gained an endorsement from its strategic policy committee to support a toll road.