12 December 2003

Media statement for immediate release

Waitakere optimistic about transport delivery

“A funding package for Auckland transport has been a long time coming and we are awaiting a positive delivery for Waitakere City.”

That’s the view of Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey, commenting on the outcome of today’s announcement.

“This government has clearly had Auckland and its transport problems in its sights for some time, and this announcement has been worked on intensively with representatives from many government agencies and from local authorities throughout the Auckland region,” he says.

“What has emerged for transport implementation, as with water services for the Auckland region, is a delivery-focussed Board making high-level distribution decisions from a united position.

“The question is, what will it do for Waitakere City? If the new governance arrangements, new money, and the provisions of the new Land Transport Management Act mean that we get State Highway 16 and a fully double-tracked, electrified railway by 2006, then we will look back on this day and realise that it was the turning point we all wanted. What I don’t want to see is the rules being changed and new money coming into the system but the players staying the same and the bad behaviour continuing, with no delivery.

“It is clear that this will be the first of several announcements by the Crown leading up to the Budget 2004 on how to make the Auckland economy pull its weight - and these announcements today are certainly welcome news leading into the New Year,” says Mayor Harvey.

Ends

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