Still Coming Up – News Overload

Written by Ben Ross - Talking Auckland

What Will Auckland Exactly Get Today?

 

Today the Prime Minister will announce to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce a transport package for Auckland. Already the City Rail Link has been confirmed with a start date around the 2020 mark – although that could be brought forward to 2017-2018. Owing to the fact that the Western Ring Route is meant to be complete and the fact that there is a national election in 2017 (whether it is National seeking a fourth term or seeking a new term after being 3-years in opposition), I do wonder if the 2017-2018 start date will actually happen. Already the construction resources would be present from Waterview (the WRR) so why not just transplant them straight over to the CRL instead of starting from scratch three years later?

Back to the PM’s speech today; so the CRL is announced but what else does Santa have in his bag of goodies. Auckland Transport Blog listed a few already in their “What else will the Government announce? the Good, the Bad and the Ugly” post along with the consequences of each one.

Since that particular post there has been leaks and hints that the Second Harbour Crossing is also a go (in what form is unknown), PENLINK might be a go (finally), something with AMETI (please be the Eastern Highway and the start of the Botany Line), or if not AMETI then this damned East-West Link in the Onehunga/Penrose/Highbrook industrial area.

So all eyes front as we await today’s announcement from the Prime Minister.

What would I like to see and would have done if I the Prime Minister today making the announcement? Probably something like this:

  1. City Rail Link
  2. PENLINK (tolled)
  3. North Shore Line (as far as Takapuna for now)
  4. Eastern Highway and Botany Line
  5. Half the money needed for the Electrification to Pukekohe

And yep I know Point-4 is going to cause some “controversy” amongst some readers here this morning.

 

With the Unitary Plan and Manukau

Posts are still coming to these hot topics and I will do my best to get these up today if not tomorrow depending on today’s transport info overload.

So again all eyes are front as we await the major announcement from the Prime Minister