Transit NZ outlines its conditions for consent

Transit New Zealand, which runs the country's state highways, says three things must happen before the street race can go ahead.

Acting chief executive Rick van Barneveld said yesterday that North Shore, Waitakere and Manukau cities and the Auckland Regional Council had to support the event; there needed to be a viable plan for traffic management; and Transit needed to be involved from now until after the event.

"We have to be assured that people can move about and that Auckland will be able to continue to operate," Mr van Barneveld said.

The councillor in charge of the event, Scott Milne, said traffic management would come down to people using their common sense and making alternative arrangements.

The event would always be held in the April school holidays when traffic was less busy. There was likely to be surplus peak-hour transport capacity for an extra 2000 bus, 3000 ferry and up to 6000 train users. Other measures would include temporary park-and-ride facilities on the North Shore and places such as Western Springs.

"We have traffic engineers within the council, contractors in the city and the experts who helped stage similar events in Sydney, Canberra and other public events around the world working on the traffic plan," he said.

Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said there was a wry irony that Aucklanders would be forced to leave their cars at home for an event that glorified cars, speed and conspicuous consumption of fuel.

"Having listened in one week to Mr Banks pleading for billions of dollars in special funding for his pet eastern motorway, we now see his council prepared to provide millions in interest-free loans to create weeks of traffic chaos," she said.