Roads lobby takes cause to electorate

By BERNARD ORSMAN

A group of Auckland businessmen is planning a political campaign at the general election for fast-track legislation to build motorways.

The Roads Before Rail Trust wants to bypass the Resource Management Act and the "anti-car, anti-roads brigade" with a law to push through motorway projects such as the eastern corridor and extension of State Highway 20 from Hillsborough Rd to the Northwestern Motorway.

The trust is seeking a specific law, similar to the America's Cup Empowering Act, including a commission "with power to override all impediments".

"Urgency is needed for roads to become a national election issue this year," the trust says in a briefing paper obtained by the Herald.

The paper reveals that the trust plans to canvass political candidates with the question, "Do you support an urgent empowering act to solve Auckland's transport crisis?" and then promote candidates who support their cause.

The trust is also seeking support from Auckland Mayor John Banks and the Auckland Business Forum, which it worked with on a pro-motorways campaign at last October's local body elections.

Trust chairman John Hynds, of Hynds Pipe Systems, said the completion of the Auckland motorway network was vital for Auckland's economy, which was being stalled because of a total reliance on Spaghetti Junction and the inability to move goods and services within the city.

He cited the America's Cup and the establishment of Sovereign Yachts at Hobsonville as examples where the planning process had been speeded up. By comparison, it had taken six years for work to start on the Grafton Gully roading project.

"All we want to do is raise the profile of this [issue], we believe it is important, and in the end the public should speak," Mr Hynds said.

The group was registered as a charitable trust on February 14, with six Auckland businessmen as trustees. They are John Hynds, Allan Drinkrow, Gordon Davies, Ronald Goodwin, Trevor Smith and Thomas Brebner.

Mr Banks said he backed the trust campaigning for candidates who supported completion of the motorway network but he said he was a political realist and could not see a Labour-Alliance or a Labour-Greens Government passing fast-track legislation.

Terry Gould, a spokesman for Stop The Eastern Motorway, said the mood was swinging against the pro-road lobby and he was confident political candidates would see past the cynical attempt by the trust to hijack the Resource Management Act, which was there to protect people's enjoyment of the environment.

A spokeswoman for Transport Minister Mark Gosche said he did not want to comment before hearing in detail what the trust planned.

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