Waterview fast track angers locals

Labour MP David Shearer

A shortened consent process for the Waterview Connection roading project in Auckland has angered opponents, and local Labour MP David Shearer is concerned that not all views will be heard.

Transport Minister Steven Joyce said this week that the project would be considered under a new consent process.

Mr Joyce said there had been good progress on the Western Ring Route which included the New Zealand Transport Agency deciding to apply for the Waterview Connection to be considered under the new national consenting process in the Resource Management Act.

Instead of the usual two-step process of a council hearing followed by an Environment Court hearing, there would be either a single hearing before a board of inquiry or a direct referral to the Environment Court.

"The ability to make a direct application to the Environment Protection Agency under the RMA was introduced by the Government last year to streamline the decision-making process on matters of national significance," Mr Joyce said.

"I'm pleased to see that the Transport Agency is seeking to use this provision to ensure community involvement in this sensitive project while keeping to the completion date of 2015-16."

The agency also confirmed this week alignment changes for the Waterview Connection announced last month.

Mr Shearer said the Government needed to be careful to ensure that locals had their say.

Margie Watson, a parent of primary and kindergarten children at Waterview, was very unhappy about the decision.

"There is no opportunity to challenge any of those decisions and that is incredibly unfair when you've got groups of people representing community organisations, environmental groups and ongoing sustainability of communities when you are up against a multimillion-dollar organisation that will do anything to silence you," she told Radio New Zealand.

Mr Joyce said that although some people opposed the project, there was also a lot of support for it.

"This is a hugely important project and without reducing anybody's opportunities to have a say it is important to get it resolved and if possible approved so we can get on and realise the benefits to Auckland of the Western Ring Route," he said also on Radio New Zealand yesterday.

The only difference was the time taken to make the decision, he said.

"It goes to a higher court, which is either a board of inquiry or the Environment Court, immediately and everyone gets to have their say once and say it well and then a decision gets made."

- NZPA