Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is doubling down on his proposal to have a second harbour crossing built over Meola Reef, flatly rejecting the Government’s tunnel dreams as a final decision from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi nears.
While the Government has not yet stated its preferred option, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) recently completed land- and sea-based geotechnical investigations for the additional crossing over the Waitematā Harbour in December, with a formal decision on the route and method expected mid-year.
Since September 2024, Brown has argued that the most viable second harbour crossing is not a bridge or tunnel to complement the existing crossing, but rather a new bridge connecting Pt Chevalier to the North Shore via the rocky reef peninsula.
The mayor told the Herald in September that Auckland Council was being kept in the dark over the feasibility study and alleged the Government was giving preference to a crossing close to the existing bridge, a claim which Transport Minister Chris Bishop rejected.
Brown’s preferred option – which the Government will be considering amongst a broader business case for the second crossing – relies on a natural existing lava flow (Meola Reef) extending 2km into the harbour to support the new structure.
Questioned whether he’d been privy to the Government’s discussions, Brown told Ryan Bridge TODAY he’s remained busy advocating for his preferred route.
“No, I’ve let them in on what I’m planning. It won’t be where they’re putting it. It’s going to be on Meola Reef,” he said.
“It goes halfway across the harbour, you put dirt on top of that and you’ve got a short bridge that goes to Little Shoal Bay.”
Bridge noted Brown’s plan had sparked some discontent among locals, particularly with central Auckland’s only fully fenced, designated off-leash dog park sitting atop Meola Reef Reserve.
However, Brown said his preferred crossing would avoid going through the park and actually make it “easier for them to get there”.
“I think you’ve got to have a little perspective here. A bridge across the harbour versus a dog walker,” he said.
“One of the things we’re getting out of the legislation for the Auckland transport changes ... is that we will set about jointly working out a 30-year transport plan.
“And it won’t necessarily follow various political promises from people in the past.”
Approaching the topic with “no emotion, just numbers and facts” would help bring “more sensible solutions” to Auckland’s transport woes, Brown said.
Auckland Harbour Bridge is the city’s most important transport corridor. According to NZTA, it facilitates around 170,000 vehicle crossings and 35,000 bus passengers’ commutes between the Tāmaki isthmus and the Waitematā Harbour’s north daily.
Last week, Waitematā District Superintendent Naila Hassan told Ryan Bridge TODAY that marches over the harbour’s sole crossing will no longer be approved, with NZTA advising that such protests could weaken and potentially compromise the critical infrastructure.
The new rule was detailed as NZTA faced backlash for declining an application by The Freedom and Rights Coalition, an umbrella organisation created by Destiny Church in opposition to Covid-19 restrictions, to walk the bridge last weekend.
“We will not be facilitating or supporting any future marches. So we have drawn a line in the sand, and it just happens to be with this group.”
The group congregated in Victoria Park, where an estimated 1200 people came together and marched towards Fanshawe St before dispersing.
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