Highway advocates eye tolls Auckland-wide

By BERNARD ORSMAN

The cost of the eastern highway has been cut by $1 billion, but it will still take tolls on motorways, the Harbour Bridge and arterial roads across Auckland to build it.

Auckland City Mayor John Banks and Manukau Mayor Sir Barry Curtis yesterday released plans to scale back the eastern highway by abandoning an expensive tunnel under Parnell, doing away with bus lanes from Panmure to the city and placing greater emphasis on rail.

But the project still comes with a pricetag of $2.5 billion and a warning from Sir Barry that Auckland will need to "get into the real world" and pay tolls to complete the eastern highway and other transport projects.

Sir Barry said he envisaged two toll cordons round Auckland - an inner cordon and an outer cordon - on all motorway and arterial routes to pay for a $6 billion funding shortfall to complete the city's roading and public transport network.

"The best way to do that is to try to replicate what has happened in London and overseas.

"It means that every time a commuter penetrates the cordon they pay a charge.

"It has the effect of encouraging people to get out of their cars and into public passenger transport," Sir Barry said.

The mayors have put a case to the Government for city-wide tolls. At present, tolls are allowed only if there is a free alternative.

Following strong lobbying from community groups, the eastern corridor political steering group has recommended abandoning the 3.5km Parnell tunnel option in favour of crossing Hobson Bay for the final leg of highway into the city.

Mr Banks, who had favoured the tunnel option, said it had become increasingly obvious that it was too expensive, too tough, too disruptive and technically too difficult.

The final decision to opt for the Hobson Bay crossing will be made by Auckland City's transport committee on June 30.

Abandoning the tunnel option will save about $600 million and dropping two lanes for buses from Panmure to the city is expected to save another $400 million.

The mayors, with urging from steering group chairman Greg McKeown, are placing greater emphasis on improved rail along the corridor, including new electrified trains and the future possibility of an inner-city loop from Britomart by tunnel up Queen St connecting with the western line at Mt Eden.

The mayors are also talking of making a start in 2006 on the highway and public transport in the Glen Innes, Panmure and Pakuranga areas, where there are serious congestion problems and economic gains to be made.

But before work can start, the councils must decide how they are going to legally protect land along the 27km route for transport purposes, pay for $1 billion of property costs, gain resource consents and fund the construction work.

Sir Barry said Manukau had $150 million set aside to buy property.

Auckland City, with property costs of about $850 million, has nothing set aside.

Mr Banks said it had been proved that the eastern corridor was of national significance and a government, maybe not the Labour Government, would come to the party.

"We have made a lot of progress and in three years' time the eastern corridor will be being built, it will be funded, the land acquisition will all be completed and it will be on its way to network completion," he said.

Transport Minister Pete Hodgson said last week that the Government had pledged an extra $1.6 billion to Auckland transport projects over the next year, but this did not include funding for the eastern highway project.

Transit, which has been involved with Auckland and Manukau cities investigating a route, has not guaranteed future support for the highway now that hundreds of millions of dollars are needed to move the project to the next stage of protecting the corridor and seeking resource consents.

Road works

Where to now for the eastern highway?

* Parnell Rd tunnel abandoned, saving $600m.

* Bus lanes from Panmure to city abandoned, saving $400m.

* Auckland-wide tolls to pay for highway and other projects.

* Greater emphasis on rail, including new electric trains.

* Work to start in 2006 in Glen Innes, Pakuranga, Panmure.