Month: December 2014

No Sunday BBQ Today

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Final for 2014 next Sunday

 

Apologies folks but no Sunday BBQ podcast today.

 

The final Sunday BBQ podcast for 2014 will be next Sunday and we will be taking a look at the year that was for our Mayor.

 

Tomorrow I will look at the new Sydney Plan (http://www.strategy.planning.nsw.gov.au/sydney/) which again Sydney has pretty much left Auckland for dead again after it did so with a transit orientated development recently.

Put it this way while Sydney’s plan is ambitious it can be delivered and it recognises a few realities that Auckland missed with her own.

 

More tomorrow

 

Glenora Road Station?

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And what about Te Mahia and Westfield

 

I saw in the Auckland Transport Board Meeting closed agenda for this month as well as the forward program sheet that three stations are up for discussion and possible decisions.

They are:

  1. Whether to close Te Mahia and/or Westfield Stations
  2. Allow Glenora Road Station to be built next to the Takanini Village

 

The Agenda and Forward Program papers that caught my attention

 

 

Comments

I note that the discussion around all three stations is behind closed doors under the justification of frank and free discussion to which a decision will be noted (rather than actioned by the looks of it). All three stations have stirred up the emotions with Manurewa Local Board roping in the Mayor to get Te Mahia to stay open while Papakura Local Board and Councillor Calum Penrose are fighting to get Glenora Road Station built and operation (rather than Auckland Transport’s favoured Tironui Station).

What could be indicative around Westfield and Te Mahia is that they are on the Auckland Plan Transport Network funding program for upgrades. Meaning if full funding is available the stations would be upgraded within the next 10 years otherwise not at all under the current Basic Transport Network scenario. However, that APTN and BTN could change depending how the Governing Body treats the final version of the Long Term Plan next year.

That said Glenora Road Station is not on either the APTN or BTN but if Auckland Transport give it the green light then somehow the Council will need to get funding for it.

 

The agenda paper notes that the decisions around those three stations will be released in due course. It will be VERY interesting to see which way AT fall over these stations.

 

Coming Up on The Weekend Analysis

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End of the Line?

 

For my last Weekend Analysis for 2014 I was going to look back at the City Rail Link debate that happened on Tuesday. Well Kane from All About Auckland who was there when the Governing Body failed in their one job (Council: You Had ONE Job! UPDATED) delivered this promotional piece for his show on Monday:

The End of the Line?

The Governing Body convened for an Extraordinary Meeting on Tuesday to debate the City Rail Link for the 7th time. Quite why they were required to perform yet again remains unclear.

Most likely reasons being that a letter arrived on the Auditor General’s desk from some Councillors which may have had an unsettling effect on her.

Another reason being that the last meeting to discuss the CRL, at the Budget debate, saw a spilt decision on allowing a road tolling option to be included in the Transport Funding consultation document.

Len could not afford the political risk inherent in a decision that saw the far left and far right join forces against the centrists so when the opportunity for another vote loomed up in the form of the Auditor General rejecting the Budget while it included Central Government funding for the CRL, rather than quietly negotiating through it, he used the chance to improve his mandate.

The debate, which was a good one, marks the sorry end to Len’s political career as the Mayor with the Mojo. The Mayor in waiting said it all when,  part way through the debate, she took careful aim and explained to him exactly how he should do his job. And all the while those on the left and the right giving him the benefit of their advice

—-ends—-

 

Ouch!

Kane’s piece certainly delivers enough material to work on as does Bob Dey’s piece as well.

So tomorrow on The Weekend Analysis I look back at the CRL debate as well as my picks for Councillor(s) of 2014 – both good and bad!

 

Promo piece

All About Auckland Show

On This Week’s Show:

The End of the Line?

Episode 47

SkyTV Channel 83 FACETV

Monday at 9pm – repeats Tuesday 12.30pm

Facebook Like Button

………..

 

Public Transport Livery To Be Consistant

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A Universal Brand

 

Auckland Transport are simplifying things as we start heading into the new public transport regime from mid next year.

From Auckland Transport with more on Tuesday:

A consistent look for public transport in Auckland

Auckland Transport is about to give the city’s public transport network a fresh, clear, consistent brand.

Over the next three years the branding will be phased in starting with the LINK services and the Northern Express.

Auckland Transport’s General Manager Marketing and Customer Experience Mike Loftus says a single identity will give Aucklanders and visitors a clearer understanding of what public transport is on offer and which areas specific buses, trains and ferries serve.

“Most metropolitan cities have a single brand network that is easy to recognise and enables clear, consistent communication with customers. Currently in Auckland there is no single identity, we have a variety of brands and looks. Customers relate to buses by the operator name rather than the wider public transport network”.

Auckland Transport’s Group Manager Public Transport Mark Lambert says having a single public transport network will ultimately build public confidence in the developing and improving PT system. “Knowing that all the services are integrated and part of the same system will help grow patronage”.

The  branding will mean common livery across public transport vehicles but differentiated by colour depending on the type of service.

The implementation of the livery is already underway and budgeted for on the electric trains.

Costs for the bus fleet will be kept to a minimum through:

  • Retention of ocean blue for Rapid Network services (Northern Express is already this colour).
  • Retention of red, green, orange and light blue for existing targeted services of the City LINK, Inner LINK, Outer LINK and Airbus.
  • The rest of the bus fleet to be transitioned as part of new contracts and costs incurred through new contract rates.

Mr Lambert says Auckland’s bus operators are aware of the changes and are working with Auckland Transport.

The Auckland Plan looks to double public transport trips from 70 million in 2012 to 140 million in 2022. The Auckland Plan’s priorities for Auckland’s transport system include “a single system transport network approach that manages current congestion problems and accommodates future business population growth to encourage a shift toward public transport.”

The new branding will be unveiled next Tuesday 16 December.

—ends—

Source: https://at.govt.nz/about-us/news-events/a-consistent-look-for-public-transport-in-auckland/

 

Now then if we can just get those interchanges and, park and rides built so people could use this new network more…

 

Funding for Whau Environmental Projects

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$14,000 granted

 

From Auckland Council

$14,000 for Whau environmental projects

 

Two Whau-based projects have been awarded a combined $14,200 from Auckland Council’s Environmental Initiatives Fund to help care for the area’s environment and protect its heritage.

The Whau River Catchment Trust receives $11,700 went to support the rehabilitation of the coastal bush found at the Kurt Brehmer Walkway in Rosebank Peninsula next to the Whau River estuary.

And $2,500 was awarded to the West Lynn Garden Society Inc. providing a contribution towards an audio/visual system to enhance the community education facility.

Whau Councillor Ross Clow says the awards were well deserved.

“It is clear that there is real passion for preserving our natural environment and heritage in Whau. These two projects will make a real difference to the community, and were worthy recipients of the funding.

“Empowering the local community to help benefit the areas they live is an important part of what Auckland Council does, and I am delighted to see these two deserving projects being recognised by the council.

“I am really excited about them and can’t wait to visit them to see how they are getting on,” he says.

The council’s Environmental Initiatives Fund awarded a total of $634,000 in funding to 133 projects across Auckland with an average grant of $4000.

—-ends—-