Roadworks ahead for successful ARC trio

By ANNE BESTON

The pro-roading lobby has a tighter grip on the Auckland Regional Council with three new councillors expected to push for completion of the city's roading network.

Former Auckland Regional Services Trust chair and ex-TV frontman Craig Little, former health board member Judith Bassett and Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett will all be vying for a place on the council's powerful transport committee.

The ARC spends about $100 million a year subsidising bus services and formulating transport policy. One of its key tasks was drawing up the land transport strategy, finalised two years ago. Critics say the strategy, a mix of rail, public transport and roading options for Auckland, has been left to gather dust.

"Nothing has happened, someone has to be responsible for implementing it," said Mr Little. "Completion of the roading networks is a key part of any solution to [Auckland's transport problems]."

Mrs Bassett defines herself as "firmly pro-roading" and said Auckland had to rethink its transport priorities.

But ARC chair Phil Warren, re-elected with the biggest majority of any ARC candidate and expected to again take the chairman's job, believes it will be business as usual for the ARC.

"I think it will be steady as she goes. The previous regional council was split down the middle and I think it stays about the same."

Transport Minister Mark Gosche agreed.

"I looked at the make-up of the council and I don't see it as hugely different. I think it's always had a balanced approach anyway."

New faces on the ARC to the left of the political spectrum are long-time women's health advocate Sandra Coney and former ARC councillor Paul Walbran, both elected on Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey's Team West ticket.

Mr Walbran hoped to join forces with long-time ARC councillor Mike Lee. But Mr Lee, along with allies Jack Henderson and Ruth Norman, lost his seat.

Mr Lee, first elected in 1992, said he thought he was a casualty of Aucklanders' frustration on the transport issue.

Some harsh critics have successfully won seats on their regional councils.

Long-time Waikato District mayor Angus Macdonald has been elected to Environment Waikato and Northland Regional Council gets former Whangarei Mayor Stan Semenoff.

Mr Macdonald has long been a critic of the way Environment Waikato administers its $83 million investment nest-egg - share money from when the country's ports were privatised. The shares were sold in 1992 and the council has administered the fund to offset its operating costs.

But Mr Macdonald believes a community trust fund should be set up and other district councils should share in the benefits.

Mr Semenoff clashed with the council over resource consents for his sand-mining business.

Also at Northland Regional Council, outspoken Northland Federated Farmers president Ian Walker has ousted the council's transport committee chairman, Robin Shepherd.

Council chairman Jim Peters said the election of Mr Semenoff and Mr Walker would bring "a new strength and a new dynamic" to the council.

Some high-profile regional council candidates, many of them former MPs, failed to make the grade with voters. Tauranga's retiring mayor Noel Pope missed a place at Environment Bay of Plenty and former MPs Gilbert Myles and Ian Revell failed in their bid for a seat on the ARC.

In the Waikato, sitting councillor Jenni Vernon held off former Rodney councillor and MP Ross Meurant and former Tainui legal adviser Shane Solomon.

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