Resolutions and Drawn Out Debate

Only to Send Two Matters To:

Another Committee

From 2pm until around just after 5pm I was at and observing the Auckland Council Transport Committee which met today. The public gallery was full for the most part for about two-thirds of the meeting – which is ironic as two-thirds of the meeting were tied up solely on the Auckland Sky Path project which I mentioned in my “AUCKLAND HARBOUR BRIDGE – SKY PATH” post this morning.

For two and a half hours presentations by the public, Local Boards and various associations; as well as constant debate on the merits and demerits of the AHB Sky-Path between Committee members occurred which meant two things to me:

1. A numb-bloody backside for listening to all of this
2. The fact I had a numb backside was made worse by Committee members being extremely inefficient in their debate today on the Sky Path as pretty much 99% of their questions and concerns belonged to the Strategy and Finance Committee (which the Sky Path proposal and recommendations finally got kicked to after that 2:30 hours) rather than the Transport Committee

Again you can get the details and information thus far on and from Page Nine of the February 2013 Transport Committee Agenda by clicking on the respective blue link.

However the resolutions in the Transport Committee passed and the matter is now finally off to the Strategy and Finance Committee where the entire AHB Sky-Path Proposal can be fleshed out and either one of these results will happen with the :

• Rejected outright – project basically dead in the water until after the Local Government Elections in September/October this year
• Rejected and sent back to Auckland Transport and the project people for more information
• Rejected but deferred until the 2015-2025 Long Term Plan is operational (this is owing to that there is no budget line for the Sky Path project in the current 2012-2022 LTP)
• Accepted as is and away we go subject most likely to Annual Plan considerations

From the resolutions passed on to me this evening I am going to take a punt that one or both of these is going to happen with the AHB Sky-Path:

• Rejected and sent back to Auckland Transport and the project people for more information
• Rejected but deferred until the 2015-2025 Long Term Plan is operational (this is owing to that there is no budget line for the Sky Path project in the current 2012-2022 LTP)

These were the resolutions passed this afternoon – please note the following first:

The reports contained within this agenda are for consideration and should not be constructed as Council Policy unless and until adopted

The resolutions

Secretarial Note: The motion was taken part by part. 

Resolution number TRAN/2013/9 
MOVED by Cr M Lee, seconded Cr CE Fletcher:

That the Transport Committee:

1. a) Receives this report on the Auckland Harbour Bridge Pathway (‘SkyPath’)Project Update. CARRIED
2. That the Transport Committee notes the project sits within the LTP as an unfunded item. CARRIED
3. Supports in principle the provision of a shared walk and cycle way across the Harbour Bridge rather than wait for provision once an Additional Waitemata Harbour crossing is in place subject to financial feasibility analysis. CARRIED
4. d) Acknowledges the significant transport benefits (as well as recreational and tourism benefits) the Auckland Harbour Bridge Pathway would bring to the Auckland region in terms of completing a missing link in the Auckland Cycle Network and walking network, which would be further enhanced by the completion of the Northern Linkage/Shoal Bay. CARRIED
5. e) Acknowledges the timing of the Auckland Harbour Bridge Pathway, in the short term, would take advantage of Waterfront Auckland’s planned waterfront cycleway and walkway from Westhaven Marina to Daldy Street, and planned improvements by Auckland Transport to the local streets in Northcote as part of its Safe Schools Programme. CARRIED
6. f) Requests the New Zealand Transport Agency and Auckland Transport to consider the Shoal Bay proposal as part of the investigation of the Northern Link between Northcote and Akoranga to provide improved walking and cycling connections to the northern end of the proposed Auckland Harbour Bridge Pathway. CARRIED
7. g) Recommends that any construction and operation of the Auckland Harbour Bridge Pathway facility should be subject to an open and competitive price process. CARRIED
8. h) Recommends that a report should be prepared with further information for the Strategy and Finance Committee to consider funding sources and the Council’s contributions (in the form of part underwrite and assumption of obligations at the end of the public private partnership period) to the Auckland Harbour Bridge Pathway. This further information would include:
   • – Procurement arrangements: fully contested or the proposed negotiated public private partnership;
   • – Detailed risk assessment;
   • – Comparison of a public private partnership arrangement with traditional procurement process or other processes to determine best value for money; and
   • – Assessment of the project against the Council’s Significance and Public Private Partnership Policies;

CARRIED
Cr Hartley left the meeting at 3.30pm. 


Resolution number TRAN/2013/10

MOVED by Cr C Casey, seconded Cr W Walker:

1. i) continue to investigate how some or all users can have free access. CARRIED

Resolution number TRAN/2013/11 
MOVED by Cr GS Wood, seconded Cr W Walker: 
That the Health and Safety aspect of the project be reported upon. CARRIED

Not all points passed with a unanimous vote

So off to the Strategy and Finance Committee the Auckland Harbour Bridge Sky Path goes – just a bugger and a numb backside later it took 2:30 hours to get it to that committee.

Oh and One News were covering the beginning of the proceedings today with an article on the Sky-Path on their website.

Next post: Developments on the Manukau Duplicate North Link :-\