Council commits $194m for son of Britomart

By BERNARD ORSMAN

The Auckland City Council last night committed $194 million of public money to building a transport interchange at the downtown Britomart site.

The decision came before Auckland City and other councils have sealed a deal with Tranz Rail to buy its local rail corridors or decided what form of rapid transport will use the interchange.

Councillors also went ahead with the significant investment before completing a detailed cost-benefit analysis.

The decision, supported by every councillor except Bill Christian, was made almost 12 months to the day since the council abandoned the original Britomart scheme.

Even councillors closely associated with the previous Britomart scheme, such as David Hay and Doug Astley, strongly supported what has been dubbed the son of Britomart.

"We will never have a perfect Britomart," Mr Hay said. "But if we do nothing and wait another five years nothing will happen."

Auckland Mayor Christine Fletcher said it was a momentous decision for the whole Auckland region and came after the council had listened to what Aucklanders wanted.

"Now the council could respond to what Aucklanders were saying, which was, 'Just get on and do it'."

The council chose Californian architect Mario Madayag and Auckland architects Jasmax on Tuesday to design the project and is expecting to get resource consents from the Auckland Regional Council anyday.

Demolition work could start next April, and building in June, which could take two years to complete.

The rail, bus and ferry interchange will cost $194 million as opposed to $164 million for the scheme devised by former mayor Les Mills.

The old Chief Post Office will be transformed into a railway station with an underground link to the old Ferry Building.

Instead of a bus terminal, buses will be spread round the Britomart site in Customs St and Queen Elizabeth Square.

Councillors heard last night that provision would have to be made for about 500 carparks for commercial and residential tenants in a new urban village to the east of the post office, and that the ground floor of the post office could be lowered to street level.

If light rail came through and not around the historic building it would cost an extra $4 million.

The council plans to finance Britomart by borrowing $132 million and applying to Infrastructure Auckland and Transfund for $40 million towards the Queen St underground train station and a bus interchange. It has already written off $22 million from the original scheme.

Chief council planner John Duthie said work had begun on a cost-benefit analysis as part of the council application to Infrastructure Auckland.

The Controller and Auditor-General, David Macdonald, said in his January 1999 report into the original Britomart scheme that an area of "significant concern" was that a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis was not done.

A report to councillors last night said the project faced three risks: the station was designed for heavy and light rail and would be part redundant if buses were preferred over light rail; uncertainty over a rail-based operator (a low risk); and possible funding problems.

Deputy mayor Dr Bruce Hucker said Britomart had been controversial for a number of years but the council had succeeded in taking the public with it in choosing a new design that had a strong urban focus and by transforming the old post office into a gateway for the whole site.

Mr Christian said the scheme was not the son of Britomart but the baby of Britomart and it would not fulfil the transport needs of the region.

Mrs Fletcher said it was time for the Government, largely elected by the people of Auckland, to deliver on transport in Auckland.

"We are taking an investment decision close to $200 million and the Government is not responding favourably in terms of seeing the need to have some speedy resolution [to the Tranz Rail deal and a decision on the mode of transport]."

The Minister of Auckland Issues, Judith Tizard, has welcomed progress by the council on Britomart, saying it was a public transport scheme that would serve the Auckland region and give people the range of journey options they need.

Herald Online feature: Getting Auckland moving

Herald Online traffic reports