Roads unity under threat

By BERNARD ORSMAN and JASON COLLIE

The first cracks are appearing in Auckland's unity on using $950 million of public assets to unchoke roads and improve waterways.

Auckland City has broken ranks from other councils by calling for public transport projects to be made the number one priority with the kitty from Infrastructure Auckland.

Until now, all the councils in the region have agreed public transport and roads should equally be top priority, followed by improvements to decaying stormwater pipes.

Auckland's transport committee yesterday fast-tracked proposed changes in time for mayor Christine Fletcher to put them before the electoral college considering Infrastructure Auckland's draft statement of corporate intent.

Mrs Fletcher urged other mayors on the electoral college to adopt public transport as the first priority, saying there already was support for funding of roads through Transfund and Transit.

"At the moment there isn't a level playing field and we differ to say that public transport should be the primary focus [for Infrastructure Auckland]."

Electoral college chairman and Manukau mayor Sir Barry Curtis called Auckland City's new position a "very radical shift" that could impact on key links in the roading network that needed to be completed.

The chief executive of Infrastructure Auckland, Richard Maher, told the electoral college that legislation prevented public transport being given priority ahead of roading.

Representatives from Manukau and North Shore cities, Rodney District Council and the Auckland Regional Council voted for the status quo.

Mrs Fletcher held out for change.

At the council transport committee, chairwoman Catherine Harland said she was concerned that the draft statement of corporate intent provided for Infrastructure Auckland to "squander" money on significant roading projects.

"We need to be quite clear that this fund is very limited and needs to be focused on things which do not have other funding alternatives at the moment.

"It is important for the committee to send the message that we want it to be used on public transport.

"We do not want it to be diverted off in any way for roading projects."

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