Tag: transportation

Coming Up on Talking Auckland

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Massive Couple of Days Incoming

 

Wow yesterday was a case of NEWS OVERLOAD. We had the Government announce the City Rail Link, the Rudd Affair, Queensland thump New South Wales in the State of Origin second match, and the utter evil coming out of the Texan Senate by Republicans.

While this is not a Texas or sports blog, it did contribute to a day that is long going to be remembered – the day the National Government announced the City Rail Link was a GO.

 

The CRL

The situation is still very fluid right now in regards to the City Rail Link. News is coming out this morning that the Government COULD bring the start date forward to the 2017-2018 period (rather than 2020). If so this would put is squarely IN LINE with what I have been saying in regards to the CRL for a very long time – and as mentioned yesterday again on Facebook:

My position on the CRL as of November last year “I advocate the starting of construction of the City Rail Link in 2018 with completion around 2025 mark (if all three stations were built at once)”
Seems the Government was not too far off with the start date although I doubt at this point and time the project will now be staged
https://voakl.net/2012/11/27/me-and-the-city-rail-link/

We are basically waiting until Friday for the full announcement from the Prime Minister on the CRL and other transport initiatives the Government might roll out for Auckland.

Talking Auckland will run the commentary on these initiatives as soon as they are made public along with my reaction and thoughts.

Talking Auckland will look at other reactions as well including from mayoral candidate John Palino who released a statement on the CRL announcement yesterday.

 

The Unitary Plan

I have received an email back from the Council Planners in regards to my enquiries on themes and height. I will get commentary up on this as well as chasing down other enquiries with Council (Penny) by the end of the day. Quite an interesting response though to Council on the first enquiry sparked my Mark Thomas and chased down by me.

 

Auckland Conversations

I will be attending tonight’s Auckland Conversation where the Lord Mayor of Brisbane is due to speak. Again I will be going as “media” and THIS time I will try to get my questions across.

You can find out more on tonight’s Auckland Conversation piece HERE.

 

All this will take a few days to get through and as I said with the City Rail Link, the situation is very fluid at the moment. Exciting and interesting times ahead for the city indeed

 

Mayoral Candidate on Transport Funding

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Candidate for Auckland Mayor – John Palino Responds to Mayor Brown over Transport Funding

 

This has just come my way as in Hot Off The Press.

Auckland mayoral candidate John Palino has issued a stern response to Mayor Len Brown in Len’s “decision not to give Aucklanders the final say on what equates to a permanent 30 per cent increase in rates.”

This is in relation to the Mayor blocking Councillor George Wood’s Notice of Motion attempt  to get a referendum held on the City Rail Link.

From the NZH on Councillor Wood’s blocked attempt:

Mayor blocks councillor’s bid to put transport funding to public vote

By Mathew Dearnaley; 5:30 AM Tuesday Jun 25, 2013

 

Mayor Len Brown has blocked a councillor’s bid to put funding for the proposed $2.4 billion central city rail link and other transport projects to a public referendum.

North Shore council member George Wood is “astounded” Mr Brown has rejected a notice of motion he offered for a meeting of the council’s governing body this Thursday.

 

Mr Wood wanted the council to at least consider the idea of holding a referendum during October’s local body elections, to ask Aucklanders if they supported a proposal to raise an extra $400 million a year by increasing property taxes or imposing tolls on existing as well as new roads.

But he said the Mayor had refused to allow councillors to debate the prop

 

…

 

Although Mr Brown indicated last year that options for paying for what is expected to be a $12 billion transport funding gap between now and 2041 could go to a referendum, he is waiting for a final report from a “consensus building” advisory group on how to raise extra cash.

 

The 17-member group – on which business and union leaders have joined transport campaigners and the Automobile Association – expects to present a funding recommendation to Mr Brown next month.

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You can read the rest in the Herald

 

In reply to the Mayor’s decision and transport funding situation this is what Auckland Mayoral Candidate John Palino’s full response was:

I’ll put the local back into local government

“Mayor Brown’s decision not to give Aucklanders the final say on what equates to a permanent 30 per cent increase in rates contradicts the very principle of local government and will further harm Auckland’s critical relationship with Wellington,” says Mayoral candidate John Palino.

“Auckland has massive transport challenges and none greater than finding the investment the city needs. The Consensus Building Group’s investigation into funding Auckland’s transport is a good start to the discussion, but the Mayor proposes that it’s also the end.

“That’s not local democracy, especially when the Consensus Building Group never had central government support and was not allowed to question the key projects driving the need for new taxation.

“The Mayor established the group to consider options for covering a projected $10-15 billion transport funding deficit over the next 30 years. That deficit is made up of the Mayor’s key projects – the $2.8 billion city rail link; the $5 billion additional harbour crossing; and the $2-3 billion AMETI and East-West link project.

“These three projects do not deliver good transport outcomes for Auckland and this shows up in the analysis which shows the transport benefits of these projects to be greatly outweighed by the costs. The return on the AMETI and East-West Link project is still unclear, but the CRL returns 40 cents for each dollar invested and the harbour crossing returns 30 cents.

“In establishing the Consensus group, the Mayor has tried to deflect ongoing and unresolved evidence that his transport programme is flawed, doesn’t return the benefits which would otherwise offset their cost, won’t improve congestion and will require a further $400 million per annum in taxes each and every year forever.

“As Mayor, I won’t be selecting projects as part of my campaign, but I’ll be holding those agencies to account for developing solutions that meet Auckland’s needs – something the Mayor’s programme doesn’t do.

“If we can get a transport programme which delivers the quality of life Aucklander’s demand, then I’ll look at funding options alongside and not independent of central government. We have to work together if we’re going to get positive outcomes.

“And most of all, I’ll give you the final say on whether you think such a significant proposal will help deliver the city you want to live in,” says Mr Palino.

…

 

Thoughts and comments folks? We are counting down to the 2013 Local Government elections and we will be seeing a lot more of this. Post your comments below but, remember play the ball NOT the person!

 

This Week in Auckland

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Events and Happenings

 

Just a small amount happening this week in Auckland in relation to civic issues around our fair city. Two of them I will be at with one me being a guest speaker to.

The first event (I am going to do this in reverse chronological order) of mention is the next Auckland Conversation piece at the Aotea Centre where the Lord Mayor of Brisbane is due to give a guest presentation. The topic matter is as below from the council website:

Lord Mayor of Brisbane Graham Quirk on Economic and Environmental Sustainability
Thursday 27 June, 5.30pm-7pm
Aotea Centre, Upper NZI Conference Room

Following his appointment as Lord Mayor of Brisbane in April 2011, Graham Quirk was elected as Lord Mayor in the 2012 Brisbane City Council election.

Graham has a long record of service to Brisbane and the local community, being first elected to council in 1985. As a member of Civic Cabinet for over a decade, he has overseen key portfolios of infrastructure and finance, as well as serving as Deputy Mayor alongside Campbell Newman from 2008.

As Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Graham Quirk is committed to delivering for the residents of Brisbane and making the city a better place to live, work and invest in.

Over the course of his career and as part of the Council Administration, Graham has been responsible for delivering many positive outcomes and ongoing projects for Brisbane, including:

  • Easing traffic congestion with major infrastructure projects across the city,  including the TransApex network of cross city tunnels and bridges, along with the Road Action Program, which has fast-tracked 15 years of urgent road works into just four years.
  • Improving public transport with 500 new buses, and an extra 11 new CityCats. This year he introduced the CityGlider bus service, Maroon Glider Bus Service for sporting events and free CityHopper ferries.
  • A green city with the planting of two million new trees, purchasing 500 hectares of bushland for preservation and using 100 per cent renewable energy within council.
  • Enhancing Brisbane’s capacity for long-term economic growth and supporting measures that will attract more events, visitors and investment to the city.

…

You can register for the event by clicking on the following hyperlink: Check here to register online.

The “Conversation” should prove to be interesting as I have lived in Brisbane for a brief stint previously. I am tempted to throw a few curve balls to the Lord Mayor as well with epic failures of the Airport Tunnel Link and the Clem7, while the rail system has fallen behind including a 4.5km cross city river tunnel to increase capacity on Brisbane’s heavy rail network. The failures in Brisbane are harsh lessons and has warnings for Auckland with our transport objectives.

 

Manukau

Wednesday morning I have my first speaking engagement which is to the Manukau Central Business Association. The topic is Manukau as the Second CBD of Auckland, a topic commented on here heavily, presented to the Council Auckland Plan Committee and submitted on in my submissions to both the Auckland Plan and Unitary Plan.

Although rather than a five-minute gloss over that I usually give to Council committees, this is a full 20 minute presentation followed by an extensive Q&A afterwards. I will be uploading the presentation for this engagement after the engagement on Wednesday morning for your consumption.

Needless to say the Manukau issue has become quite a hot button topic issue here in the South and should not be waved off so dismissively by opponents. I have noticed that the Manukau as the Second CBD option is about to become a hot political election issue as well for the Auckland Council/Mayoral elections so attention will be focusing there.\

 

And that is this week with Auckland and some happenings around the place. Hopefully I might catch a few Talking Auckland readers at the Auckland Conversations event. Always great to catch up and exchange banter over the issues of Our City – Our Home.

 

Money for a Church but No Money for a Death Trap

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Council’s Funding Priorities Wrong Again

 

I noticed this morning (well actually yesterday) that the Council Strategy and Finance Committee approved on a vote of 10-6 to give $3m of our ratepayer’s money to the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Parnell so it can get an “upgrade.”

This is while Auckland Transport struggles to find $27m for a grade separation of the Walters Road rail crossing in Takanini and most likely the same amount for grade separating the Morningside Drive rail crossing that nearly killed a woman in a wheelchair earlier this year.

So would the councillors like to explain their logic in supporting $3m to the second biggest church in NZ (the biggest being the Catholic Church) that is exempt from most of our tax and human rights laws yet not give money to a death trap that nearly killed someone in Morningside where they had a human right for authorities to maintain a public crossing in such a way that the accident should have never happened.

And yes I know the crossing has Kiwi Rail responsibility to it as well but it is a shared responsibility with Auckland Transport thus Auckland Council. After the incident at Morningside, the council should have either stumped up the cash entirely or loaned Kiwi Rail a proportion of the money needed to remove the that death trap through a grade separation. But no it goes through the bureaucracy again and again and again and won’t be done for at least five years.

Yet at a drop of the hat Council approves money for a church (where we are meant to exercise absolute separation from Church and State) on the grounds of community facilities needs. Umm if it is for community facilities how about than dumping the money to Local Boards so they can maintain their own community facilities if the money won’t be going elsewhere.

Shame on the every single councillor who voted in giving money for the church while we have a live death trap still floating around (and a few more entering the category as we move to electrification and more frequent trains).

Shows where some have their priorities that need some readjusting in this upcoming election.

 

Concerns on the Manukau South Link

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Port of Auckland – Can we talk please?

Caught this today in the Manukau Courier. Rather interesting that they bring this up today of all days. Ah well lets take a look:

Wiri train tracks block access

Creating a southern connection between the Manukau Train Station and the main trunk line could be more difficult than first thought.

Local boards throughout the south have called for the link so passengers can travel from Manukau to Papakura and Pukekohe directly.

Passengers wanting to head south from Manukau now have to transfer at Papatoetoe.

But a Kiwirail spokeswoman says if the connection gets approval it would need to cross tracks that lead to Ports of Auckland’s inland port at Wiri.

That would require reconstruction of those tracks.

“This part of the rail corridor has quite complex track layouts because of the Manukau branch junction, the port facility and the EMU [Electric Multiple Units] depot,” she says.

A Ports of Auckland spokesman didn’t want to comment on how ripping up its tracks could affect operations at the port because no-one had put forward an official proposal to do the work.

But Manurewa Local Board chairwoman Angela Dalton says linking the Manukau station with the main trunk line made more sense than other transport projects being pushed.

“It doesn’t make sense to me, pouring money into the city rail link when we need to get things moving out here.

“We need to get cars off the streets and the trains connecting effectively.”

Auckland Transport‘s main priority at the Manukau line is double-tracking it so services can run every 10 minutes to and from Britomart, council documents show.

It’s also assessing the viability of a link between the two lines as part of its rail development plan.

 

The Manukau South (Rail) Link is a project that I have been following closely since I first raised the point that a Electrification Mast would be in the road of the south link early last year. It is a project that I still follow closely while Auckland Transport develop a case study for this link – that south so desperately need!

In saying that though has anyone actually approached Port of Auckland and had a decent conversation with them on how the South Link might work. Work as in POAL has their Wiri Inland Port that covers part of the South Link path. And whether POAL should move their Wiri facility 900 metres down the road where this is a mothballed siding and massive block of land sitting vacant.

Port of Auckland I think we of the South need to have a chat over coffee and hot scones. What do you think?

 

Belmont and the Prime Minister

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Hmmm…

 

For once it is not Orsman doing a piece on the Unitary Plan in the Herald. Meaning I might get a 10% chance (rather than a -100% chance with Orsman (although his last three articles were actually quite good (although did he actually write them or take his meds prior))) of it being balanced (to a degree we allow the media in some sway here).

This article from the NZH today: “Belmont intensification ‘madness’” has three themes running today. The first theme is an embed of a NewstalkZB interview on the Unitary Plan with Leighton Smith and the Prime Minister. The second theme was on Belmont, the UP and a surprising admission. The third theme was one I call ‘From the Files of the Loon Bin.’ The Loon Bin theme was also addressed by the Prime Minister in his ZB interview as well.

The First Theme

The Prime Minister was questioned on aspects of the Unitary Plan by Leighton Smith. The interview trundled along well enough looking at aspects of the Unitary Plan. Points made by the Prime Minister were:

  • Recognise Brownfield and Greenfield urban development will happen
  • People will choose to live in apartments
  • Three year formal notification period
  • We are not China thus will not cap growth (ties into the third theme)
  • Auckland essentially has critical mass behind thus will attract growth – something I mentioned here: “Growing Up“
  • Been concerns from the leafy suburbs of Auckland (North and Isthmus) – but Leighton Smith did point out correctly Papakura from the South with us facing down 18 Storeys being a Metropolitan Centre under the UP.

Just a note from the above: WILL PEOPLE STOP FORGETTING SOUTH AND WEST AUCKLAND PLEASE WITH THE UNITARY PLAN DEBATE. AUCKLAND DOES EXIST OUTSIDE OF THE NORTH SHORE AND CENTRAL ISTHMUS… SHESH… 

As for the Second Theme – Belmont

I recommend going and reading the article “Belmont intensification ‘madness‘” to see some interesting insights there. In short Belmont being constrained where it is with only one two-lane road in and out of the area (and serving Devonport as well) makes the area not suitable for much intensification. Even if Auckland Transport was bold and manage to get Lake road to be a 2 lane road with the shoulders allowing a high frequency (10 minute) buses on their own bus lanes, Belmont could support nothing more than a Local Centre (three storeys under my alternative) with surround areas classified as Low Density under my alternative to the UP:

  • Low Density Zone: Mostly single family homes to be built (would allow small-scale infilling as well). This also includes three storey super large houses with 5-8 bedrooms at the discretion of the Local Board through its Area Plan

What was more interesting was this admission made in the article:

It was possible the whole of the Belmont sector could be rezoned depending only on planners’ exercise of discretion in favour of a developer.

“No neighbour’s consent is required and there is no right of appeal to the decision,” Mr Keenan said. “We consider that to be undemocratic and abhorrent to us.

“I was 35 years in legal practice and a lot of my client were developers. I can tell you from experience: do not repose the character of our communities in the hands of the developers. It’s a very bad idea.”

Food for thought when you get ready with your formal submissions on the Unitary Plan at the end of the year.

As for the Third Theme which the Prime Minister commented on in his interview:

In East Auckland, Tamaki Housing Group spokeswoman Sue Henry took to the council 673 submission forms collected from residents.

“A lot of the forms have still not come back,” she said.

“We strongly object to the Unitary Plan proposal of uprooting existing communities and enforcing multistorey intensified slums on residents.

“We want Auckland’s growth capped and intensification proposals scrapped in their entirety, because there is a better way of doing it.”

Using the word “slums” will have me disinterested straight away. Despite some dodgy developments over time, Auckland does not have slums and will not be going down the path towards slums. So using the ‘slum’ term is hyper-sensationalist!

As for capping growth; what the PM said in his interview and what I say all  along. We are not Communist China. We are a Western Liberal Democracy and as such growth is going to always occur. I would recommend to Sue Henry to read my “Growing Up” post as Auckland is no longer a backwater village – but, an international city! I also see she put no alternative forward (although did the Herald leave it out).

So the Herald article? Balanced compared to what can be trotted out

Unitary Plan Feedback is due May 31, make sure you get yours in if you want a say on how your city, your home will develop over the next 30 years.

TALKING AUCKLAND

Talking Auckland: Blog of TotaRim Consultancy Limited

TotaRim Consultancy
Bringing Well Managed Progress to Auckland and The Unitary Plan

Auckland: 2013 – YOUR CITY, YOUR CALL

 

 

Rail Services South of Otahuhu Alert

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Rail Buses Replaces services

Auckland Transport has sent out a flyer alerting passengers of rail buses replaces rail services south of Otahuhu Station every Sunday to Thursday from now until to further notice. This allows Kiwi Rail continue much-needed electrification works that have fallen behind.

Here is the timetable

 

Lets see if Kiwi Rail can get the work done. Be a bit of a bugger if the Onehunga and Western Lines were complete but no wires in operation to the EMU depot further south in Wiri. Ooops

 

Screwing the Little Guy?

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Auckland Public Transport Fares to Rise

 

Yes the sole machine was out of order, however tech support had been notified 10mins earlier
Yes the sole machine was out of order, however tech support had been notified 10mins earlier

Well I managed to personally stave off a fare rise for AT-HOP care users in September last year (Fare Increase Ctd) for rail users. However, this time no such luck – you are going to be lugged with it this time around.

From the NZ Herald this morning after AT announced it last yesterday

Students bear the brunt of Auckland public transport fare rises

Auckland Transport has been accused of targeting students with public transport fare rises that will also affect thousands of Hop and multi-trip ticket buyers.

Auckland Transport – which waited until late yesterday to announce changes approved by its board two months ago – will lift cash fares for tertiary students by between 7c and 40c a trip on June 3.

Adults who use Hop cards on trains or 10-trip tickets on buses also face fare rises of 2c to 22c a ride.

Ten-trip tickets on inner harbour ferry trips such as from Devonport, Bayswater and Birkenhead to the city will also rise by up to $2, but water transport will become considerably cheaper for Hop card users.

A single trip fare for a Hop card user from Devonport to the city will fall from $5.40c to $4.10c compared with an unchanged cash price of $6, but ten-trip tickets will rise to $41.

That is to align Hop cards with multi-trip tickets, which Auckland Transport ultimately wants to scrap in favour of seamless travel across ferries, trains and buses.

Public transport operations manager Mark Lambert said close to 50,000 public transport users could be affected. The changes were required before Hop cards were rolled out to the city’s buses between June 23 and November, he said.

Auckland Council transport chairman Mike Lee asked why fares could not be aligned downward, particularly on trains.

“It seems the most loyal passengers are being targeted – students and those taking multiple trips.”

Auckland had the highest public transport fares of any Australasian city and students were “a key part of our market”, he said.

Mr Lambert said an increase in the student discount from 20 per cent to 40 per cent in 2008 proved highly effective in lifting demand and getting cars off the road, but there was a limit to ratepayer subsidies.

Auckland University Students’ Association president Daniel Haines said the fare rises appeared aimed at those who could least afford to pre-load Hop cards for multiple trips.

He said transport was the second highest cost facing students, after accommodation, and the increases would hit those who faced long trips from suburbs offering lower rents.
• For detailed information about fare changes, visit maxx.co.nz.

I remember fighting tooth and nail to retain the existing fares seen here below rather than having AT-HOP users pay a technical rise as AT were to flat line the discount rates at 10% right across the board

Savings with AT HOP

Adult Child/Accessible Tertiary
Cash fare HOP fare You Save! Cash fare HOP fare You Save! Cash fare HOP fare You Save!
1 stage $1.90 $1.60 16% $1.10 $0.90 18% $1.90 $1.10 42%
2 stage $3.40 $3.00 12% $2.00 $1.70 15% $3.40 $2.10 38%
3 stage $4.50 $4.05 10% $2.60 $2.29 12% $4.50 $2.79 38%
4 stage $5.60 $5.04 10% $3.40 $3.00 12% $5.60 $3.47 38%
5 stage $6.80 $6.00 12% $4.00 $3.55 11% $6.80 $4.21 38%
6 stage $7.90 $6.90 13% $4.50 $4.05 10% $7.90 $4.75 40%
7 stage $9.00 $8.00 11% $5.30 $4.75 10% $9.00 $5.58 38%
8 stage $10.30 $9.05 12% $6.10 $5.44 11% $10.30 $6.38 38%

 

I believe the new fare guide is not out but reading the material from AT properly you have:

  • Cash fares remaining the same
  • AT-HOP card fares going up as the percentage discount level is lowered across most if not all areas.

So rather than targeting the cash users and hiking the cash fares (if the actual fares did need to go up in the first place) which would move people over to AT-HOP, Auckland Transport go and hit “the little guy” who is already on AT-HOP. Ouch and nasty!

The AT-HOP fare rise also seems to be the exact opposite of the Deloitte HOP review would suggest

 

One wonders what the thinking was behind the latest move?