Tag: Long Term Plan

SUBMISSION TO RPTP – CTD

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Part One Down, Onto Parts Two and Three

 

As mentioned in my SUBMISSION TO RPTP post, my submission is currently being written in response to Auckland Transport‘s call for feedback on the Regional Public Transport Plan:

Have Begun Writing Submission to Regional Public Transport Plan

As mentioned in the ALL THINGS PUBLIC TRANSPORT, Auckland Transport has released the Regional Public Transport Plan for public submissions. I have read the 138 pages of the RPTP document and have begun writing my submission to the plan. My submission will be covering five main points on the RPTP which will be further reinforced in the subsequent hearings panel afterwards – the points being:

  1. Lack of direct Manukau to Papakura South Rail Link from Manukau Station
  2. Constructive Criticism and Praise to Chapter Five – Key Directions which looks at the proposed network (and services) through to 2022
  3. Chapter 6.4 – Fares and Ticketing. Specially my counter proposal around zone fares and pricing
  4. Chapter 6.5  – Infrastructure of the physical Public Transport network and facilities (building on from my submissions to The Auckland, and Long Term Plans)
  5. Chapter 6.6 – Customer Service Interface – and how best it can be used and improved for a clean,easy, efficient and “happy” portal for customer service interactions

I will endeavour to keep a running commentary as I write my submission and get it in by the deadline of Monday 4th November 2012…

 

I have completed Point Three: Fares and Ticketing. That part of my submission is around introducing zonal fares rather that fares based on distance travelled, coupled with suggestive fares public transport passengers would be charged. You will be able to see the full submission as I send it to AT once I have completed it.

And so I move onto the next part which is Points One and Four: The Lack of direct Manukau to Papakura South Rail Link from Manukau Station; and Chapter 6.5  – Infrastructure of the physical Public Transport network and facilities (building on from my submissions to The Auckland, and Long Term Plans).

 

In regards to the lack of a direct link from Manukau to Papakura; I will continue to lobby and advocate to Auckland Transport on getting a firm timeline of completion for that link. As I have commented in the past here at BR:AKL (formerly VOAKL) Manukau Station is handicapped by access and pathetically low patronage due to a lack of a direct link from Papakura to the station. In my experience, the bulk of your peak and off-peak passengers (regardless of the tertiary institution campus being built on top) to and from Manukau come from your: Homai, Manurewa, Papakura and Pukekohe stations. Currently the passengers from the south have to catch a train and go as far as Puhinui Station before transferring to Manukau from Britomart service (it is vice versa if leaving Manukau and wanting to go back south)  which runs hourly in the off-peak and weekends, and around 20-30mins in the morning and afternoon peaks.

To me this is unacceptable to which I actually put the blame on Auckland Council and the former Manukau City Council rather than Auckland Transport. Auckland Transport got lugged with the Manukau mess so I am strongly recommending to AT to help clean up the situation and pressure Kiwi Rail to build that South Link by 2018!

 

In regards to the infrastructure point, I am basically looking at rail and bus stations in regards to: facilities on the stations, ease of access, whether Park and Rides should be build adjacent to the said stations, and whether the tough call needs to be made in closing down or relocating stations for better patronage and access to the travelling public. I will also investigate looking in establishing a light rail system that spans the Waterfront to St Heliers Bay along with running up and down Dominion Road as far as Lynfield. Now I said investigate as Light Rail was part of my Auckland Water-Frontier proposal especially around Wynyard Quarter, so I will “see” if this system can be expanded further in its reach and access. Now if anything, this part of the submission and the fares part will be the most prickly in the hearings with AT after I submit my submission (unless AT really take to task my points on the Customer Service Interface – and how best it can be used and improved for a clean,easy, efficient and “happy” portal for customer service interactions knowing how err sensitive our CCO can be).

But at the end of the day I am submitting fair and balanced, but constructive feedback to Auckland Transport on their RPTP. There will be no defaming, there will be no harsh negative comments. Any thing I do constructive criticise will have ideas, proposals and alternatives from what I believe can make our public transport submission better.

And this is the goal of this submission; “To a Better Auckland”

 

My RPTP, along with all other submissions I have done to Auckland Council or Auckland Transport (Auckland Plan, Long Term Plan, CBD Parking Regime Change, City Centre Master Plan, the Regional Land Transport Plan, soon the Unitary Plan, and currently the Regional Public Transport Plan) form my policy platform (extending on my What I Stand For fundamentals) as well as I stand as a candidate for Papakura Local Board in next year’s Local Government Elections – for a Better Auckland.

 

Updates will continue as I continue to write the submission to the RPTP

BEN ROSS : AUCKLAND

Shining The Light –
To a Better Auckland

Auckland 2013: YOUR CITY – YOUR CALL

An Introduction

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Auckland since 2010 thanks to one Royal Commission of Enquiry into Auckland Governance and some good old fashioned central politics in Wellington has been united under a unitary authority.

Gone are the days since 1989 where Auckland had five city councils, three district councils and one regional council. Auckland now has one single authority – the Auckland Council led by just a single mayor. Affectionately I give the name The Auckland Senate to the council and Praetor to our mayor who reside of the City State of Rome (this is while the Emperor (the Prime Minister) has his throne in Wellington). That single authority along with the hulking bureaucratic bodies called the Council Control Organisations are “in charge” of spending our ratepayers dollars in making this city work. (For more on Auckland Council, click HERE )

Per the Local Government Act (Auckland Governance) 2009, the authority and the bureaucracy are required to produce a set of documents that will guide their “intentions” over a time frame. For the Council Controlled Organisations (CCO’s) this is done through their Statement of Intent which is produced around and up to every ten years and reviewed annually. For the authority that is Auckland Council two primary (and a pile of secondary) documents set out and guide the governing body for periods from one year, right up to thirty years.

The thirty year plan is the Spatial Plan, more commonly known as The Draft Auckland Plan provides a series of aspirational  goals that city wants to achieve or see itself by by 2030. The Draft Auckland  Plan and supplementary documents can be found HERE. A warning though, it is a fair bit of light reading at a combined length of around 800 pages long.

The Ten Year Long Term Plan (or simply Long Term Plan) is the action plan that oversees and budgets activities of Auckland Council and its bureaucracy over a ten year time frame. Simply put; The Draft Auckland Plan is the vision, the Long Term Plan tries to action activities to lead to the achievement of that vision (including funding and setting rates). The process leading up to the implementation of the Long Term Plan (and subsequent Annual Plans) can be found HERE.

Now I personally recommend participating when plans such as the Draft Auckland Plan and Long Term Plan are drawn up. Submissions have closed for The Draft Auckland Plan, and hearings for business groups, lobbyists, members of the community/public, etc.. have already closed and been heard. We are waiting on the final version of the plan to come out from Auckland Council sometime early next year. However public feedback and submissions on the Long Term Plan is still to happen and will do so from February 2012. Keep an eye out at the Auckland Council Website or your local community newspapers for more information on times.

Remember:

What’s in it for you?If your kids play sport at a local park, you own a property, run a business, enjoy Auckland’s magnificent land and seascapes or use any council services – getting involved by having a say on the draft LTP is important for all Aucklanders.

When The Draft Auckland Plan was published and called for submissions, I spent many an hour producing my submission to the Plan. My submission and its supporting documents should provide an insight how my views and aspirations for Auckland. In time through this blog I will be expanding on my submission as well as presenting external material and providing commentary and debates on issues around Auckland. Especially as the Draft Auckland Plan and Long Term Plan get finalised and adopted, as well as local government elections in 2013.

The links below will direct you to my submission and supporting documents. Also as time allows, more works by myself or others will be linked into my blog.

Supporting Documents (opens in separate window)

Tamaki Transformation Program Assignment

Wynyard Quarter Assignment

PPT to the Draft Auckland Plan Hearing Panel