Posts by Joshua Arbury
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The urgent debate should happen tomorrow. And that's fair enough - the NZTA choice hasn't been made yet it would be silly to have the debate now.
Geez I HAVE to be able to watch that....
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Just watching parliament now, I can't help but wonder what Phil Goff will be saying to Robertson and Hawkins who've spoiled his criticisms of the government by appearing to endorse the super-city. South Auckland is not well served by these two who're long past their used-by dates.
All they said was they supported the idea of a Super-City in theory. Twyford has said the same, as has Goff I think. The issue is HOW the super-city will be implemented and exactly what shape it will be implemented in.
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Well the Eastern Motorway got buried by public opposition. The Onehunga interchange part of the Manukau Harbour Crossing Project is another that got shot down through public opposition.
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Kim, it has to get a designation first. That's a resource consent process that will definitely not be easy. I reckon the previous government chose the tunnel option because they thought it wouldn't be possible to get consent for a surface option.
Though National have an easy way around that problem: gut the RMA.
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Basically the GPS has directed money away from all other transport funds and into state highways, so we can build stupid stuff like the Waterview Connection:
The revised GPS would increase the level of funding for the New and Improved Infrastructure for State Highways activity class by almost $1 billion over the next three years by: reallocating approximately $420 million over 3 years from non-State highway activity classes freeing up $258 million over 2 years for road–related activity by moving capital investment in Wellington rail infrastructure outside of the National Land Transport Fund providing approximately $660 million over 6 years from Petrol Excise Duty and Road User Charges as an alternative to proceeding with the Regional Fuel Tax Scheme.
Forecast State highway expenditure is lifted to remain at around 34 percent of total NLTP expenditure.
Forecast expenditure on local road construction is maintained at the same level as that in the current GPS. Road maintenance expenditure will still increase relative to the 2008/09 level.
Forecast expenditure on Public Transport Infrastructure differs considerably from the 2008/09 forecast, primarily because other capital commitments for Wellington rail infrastructure funding will be funded outside of the National Land Transport Fund.
Demand Management and Community Programmes and Walking and Cycling will receive funding allocations near their 2008/09 expenditure levels.
Changes in forecast expenditure for Rail & Sea Freight and Domestic Sea Freight Development reflect that the Minister wants to focus on other non-monetary interventions that will help increase the market competitiveness of rail and sea freight transport.I moaned about this a while back: http://transportblog.co.nz/2009/03/25/government-roading-policy-i-mean-transport-policy/
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Yup that's Alan Wood Reserve, I can see it out of my office windw right at the moment. Won't be quite so nice as a 6 lane motorway.
And yes, there are a lot of Housing New Zealand properties around there. And also around Waterview.... surprise surprise it's the poor who get nailed yet again.
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Wonder what social impact comes from removing so many parks?
Good question, I'm sure I've heard them valued in the billions....
Regarding Bill Ralston's assertion, that's all good and well if the motorway runs through your house - demand good money and get out of there. But what if it takes half your backyard and that's all you get compensation for? What if it takes half your kid's school (like we saw in Wymondley) or is now over your back-fence?
You get shafted and don't get much, if any, compensation. And that doesn't even mention the loss of parkland.
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And where does the funding for the National Land Transport Fund come from?
That does come from petrol taxes, road-user charges and vehicle licensing fees. I don't have much problem with those funds being used for it, but that will come at a cost. The government's revised government policy statement on transport outlined that cost: move money away from road maintenance, local roads funding and public transport/cycling/walking funding and into state highways.
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Kim, even a surface level Rosebank option was $2.7 billion plus SH16 upgrade plus financing. More expensive than all the Waterview options
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Very crude map of possible surface option routes:
http://jarbury.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/waterview-options.jpg