Who is going for a Leak with the CRL
Somebody somewhere has a barrow to push against someone either in the Mayor’s Office, the entire Auckland Council, or the Ministry (and Minister) of Transport. Why do I say that? Well someone went for a large leak and decided to “show” the NZ Herald the draft version of the City Centre Future Access Study; to which ended up as an article on the front page of Friday’s edition of the NZ Herald, and followed up by an opinion piece Brian Rudman later in the day.
You can see the two pieces here:
One thing is for sure, once those two pieces from the NZH were released the debate kicked off in earnest across Facebook and Twitter right up until yesterday (today it has died down). The most obvious question was; “who leaked, why, and what did they have to gain from it.” I can’t honestly be bothered collating all the Facebook chatter on this debate but I can show a link of the Mayor’s reaction of the leak – which was basically a curt “no comment” plus inferring Communities and Residents (C&R) (Len’s and his centre-left majority on Council’s natural opposition) were responsible for scoring a direct hit in this leak. Only catch is you will need to stump up a cool $115 to hear the transcript: http://www.allaboutauckland.com/video/1643/unitary-plan-process-response-to-minister-for-the-environment-on-government-decisions/4
I was lucky to hear the transcript yesterday while it was still “Free” and the mayor is not happy at all with the leak. His inferring of C&R leaking the report (love to know how they go a hold of it in the first place) was highlighting this apparent return to old Auckland City Council style of politics last seen under former Mayor John Banks and that confidence in getting a sound resolution and process of the City Rail Link mega project is now either shaky or shot to pieces. By the way – for those wondering; no I am not leaker as I have not even seen the report, but in saying that I would not mind seeing the draft version now that it has gone for a leak.
Just on a side note I am seeing a massive sense of irony and vindication for John Banks here. He should have never have been removed as Mayor of Auckland City in 2004, for we would have had the 4-lane Expressway – Eastern Highway by now and the Botany (Rail) Line well under way if not completed and operating already to alleviate pressure on the existing CBD infrastructure.
But one thing is for certain, we are stuck in the mud here with the wheels just going around and around not progressing far but in the same token wasting time and energy better spent else where.
Me and the CRL
With me being asked again on the City Rail Link after the leak I shall reiterate my position for the City Rail Link for all those out there!
I support the City Rail Link being built but under a different time frame and development process than what the Mayor proposes. The mayor proposes that the City Rail Link starts construction around 2015 with completion some 5.5 years later and all three stations built using public money (tax and rates).
I advocate the starting of construction of the City Rail Link in 2018 with completion around 2025 mark (if all three stations were built at once). Depending on construction resources and finances available at the time is whether I support all three stations (Aotea, K’ Rd and Newton) being built and opened at the same time (2025) or we go with a staged development starting with Aotea, then K’Road, then Newton with final completion around 2028-2030 if we went staged.
Why later and maybe staged? Simple: allow proper dialogue with the people and businesses of Auckland, allow proper planning, allow proper savings and getting our sick City finances back in order, allow for some remedial investment to happen on existing infrastructure, and to allow some time to gather the resources for this mega-project. Otherwise; go too fast and The Rail Fallacy shall apply and truly bankrupt the city!
Funding wise I believe we as a city can achieve a three-way split between the Council, Central Government and the private sector. Those new stations will attract urban development and investment around them so I am pondering on leasing out air and sky rights, as well as resident and commercial development within and on-top of the stations to help generate returns for the CRL. I am aware in Tokyo such a thing happens with large malls, office and/or residential towers built above the stations by the Rail Company, thus “operated” by the rail company, leased out to the private sector by the rail company, thus generate returns on investment for the rail company! So what we need to do is be rather savvy with the planning, discussion and funding of this critical mega project – something which this current council is not (savvy that is (the word stale being operative here).
That is where I stand unequivocally on the City Rail Link! If for some utter miracle everything including finances lines up and the city won’t be bankrupted then I can live with a 2015-2016 start date, but I somehow doubt that will happen knowing New Zealand…
And so we now await for that leaked report for the CRL to be released so the public can go have a look – seeming it is going to cost us a few small dimes 😛
Talking Southern Auckland 