More and more projects being shunted from the Long Term Plan
I have already reported back in November that some public transport projects were being used as potential political weapons to soften Auckland for either extra taxes/rates or motorway tolls (see Public Transport Projects Being Used as Political Weapons?).
Over the last month the Main Stream Media have been picking up on it with the most recent from the Herald yesterday.
From the NZ Herald:
Big projects on back burner
By Mathew Dearnaley 5:00 AM Tuesday Dec 16, 2014
That has prompted North Shore councillor George Wood to allege Aucklanders are being “blackmailed” into accepting tolls.
Public transport will be hit hardest, including several interchange projects such as one for which groundworks have begun for buses to meet trains at Otahuhu, as the $2.4 billion underground railway swallows most of the sector’s capital funds.
But resealing of roads and footpaths will also be curbed as Auckland Transport sheds $3 billion from a previously indicated $9.8 billion on capital works over 10 years.
The interchanges face delays until at least 2020, and the council body says the Otahuhu project will have to be abandoned in June without alternative funding, even though it is needed to support a major reorganisation of southern bus and rail services next year.
Other transport interchanges facing delays include those proposed for downtown Auckland, Wynyard Quarter, Te Atatu and Manukau.
A long-planned $52 million upgrade of Dominion Rd also faces a year’s delay, until at least 2016.
Auckland Transport has earmarked just $81 million over the first five years of a “basic” 10-year network budget for public transport projects other than the City Rail Link (CRL), for which it is allocating $1.7billion.
……..
Source and full article: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11374704
As we draw nearer to the Governing Body meeting on Thursday I start to see more and more projects previously funded now being shunted. In this next example not only was the projects committed for but now shunted, it also loses community grants if it does not go ahead by early next year.
From Stuff/Auckland Now:
Fate of motorsport mecca undecided
JAMES IRELAND Last updated 05:00 16/12/2014
Ratepayers have already chipped in $745,000 – and it could all be for nothing.
Auckland councillors will decide on Thursday if Manukau’s Colin Dale Park will actually be turned into a mecca for motorsport.
The council had put aside $4.22 million to pay for work to transform the park into a home for BMX, motocross, karting, off-road racing and jet boating.
But that was before it began cutting local spending because of budget constraints. Now the money has been taken out of its planned expenditure.
The Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board is scrambling to find a solution so the park gets built and ratepayers are not left out of pocket.
The $745,000 has been spent on design work for the 57-hectare park which the council bought in 2003 for $4.2m.
The local board is lobbying the council to go ahead with the work scheduled for this financial year and then to lend it $2.8m so the rest can be done. The board will pay the loan back at a rate of $280,000 a year if the council says yes.
The final cost of the park is expected to be $4.4m.
Board chairman Efeso Collins said he wants to know once and for all what is going to happen to the land.
…….
Source and full article: http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/manukau-courier/64157741/Fate-of-motorsport-mecca-undecided
If I was to go around all 21 Local Boards I would probably find similar stories.
But as we approach the Governing Body meeting on Thursday when Council will adopt the draft Long Term Plan serious questions will again be presented to the Governing Body.
Already they failed once last week (Council: You Had ONE Job! UPDATED) and with their track record things are not are looking particularly good at a collective level.
With the expected theatrics from the usual lot I suppose I should bring the popcorn:
Reference Posts
Governing Body December Agenda – Covering the Long Term Plan
Just 5,000 to be Surveyed on Transport Funding Options
Governing Body Agenda to Set LTP Consultation
Talking Southern Auckland 
