Coming Up – From The Infrastructure Committee

Written by Ben Ross - Talking Auckland

Outcomes from the Infrastructure Committee

 

Days after I “reminded” Mayor over The Southern Initiative at The Auckland Development Committee did today at the Infrastructure Committee Respect Our Community Campaign “remind” Council about The Southern Initiative and how the East-West Link does not fit in with the Initiative’s goals.

Either late today or by early Friday I will have the full commentary up on yesterday’s proceedings at the Infrastructure Committee about the East-West Link.

Needless to say this was the opinion of the room summed up by ROCC:

 

Tomorrow I go on a site visit to check out Option 8 (see picture below) and see what this is all about. While I am no fan of an 8-lane super-highway through the area what I am conscious of is a few things:

  1. Franklin Ward Councillor Bill Cashmore mentioned land use and land use changes around Penrose/Onehunga Industrial Areas (this has implications on: Penrose, Onehunga, Westfield Wiri, East Tamaki, Drury South and Te Rapa (Hamilton)
  2. The Golden Triangle (Auckland-Hamilton-Tauranga) and planning for that area (land use and transport)
  3. The fact back in May this year was that Manukau got a highlighted as a major pivotal centre. If what Professor Bogunovich mentioned ( It should be growing in co-ordination with the rest of the upper North Island (the ‘Whanga-Tane banana’ theory – to ease some of the pressure for growth.) that I picked up on in my “Too Many Restrictions, Not Enough Progress – Unitary Plan” post earlier this week eventuate (and I would say that is a 60% chance if Councils are talking already) then some major changes in our planning and even urban design will be needed (and also some redesigning of the Manukau Concept work my end as well…)
  4. Other transport options such as the Botany Line and Airport Lines and how they are set about (the South Eastern Busway will be just a stop-gap measure before either light or heavy rail is put in its place (hence The Botany Line))

All of the above do effect the East West Link situation and how we go about it.

 

Also below is the Port of Tauranga Metro Port rail schedule. I have posted this as it came up today in the Committee discussions in which there are up to 14 MP services a day total running up and down the rail line from Westfield to Pukekohe and beyond:

 

Lots to talk about, lots to cover

All on Talking Auckland’

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