Forum Supports New Standalone Transport Authority

21 November 2003

AUCKLAND MAYORAL FORUM STATEMENT - 'Mayoral Forum supports formation of new standalone transport authority for Auckland'

The Auckland Mayoral Forum is supporting the formation of a powerful new standalone transport authority for Auckland.

At its meeting today, the Forum said that it wanted to see one transport authority for the region with the capacity to plan, fund and implement transport projects.

"We don't have that at the moment and we desperately need it if we are to make any real progress on transport issues in Auckland. We need a new streamlined structure focused on delivery and able to get things done," says Auckland Mayoral Forum Chair and Mayor of Rodney District, John Law.

Mayor Law says the Forum has asked the region's chief executives to come up with a more detailed proposal on a new body that will be discussed with local councils. The Mayors want to get some broad regional agreement on how the new body might be structured within the next week.

"We need to let the Government know our views as soon as possible as we realise the Government is starting to make up its own mind on what it wants to see happen with how we govern transport in Auckland. Ministers, like Mayors, are concerned about the number of bodies with their fingers in the transport pie. We want to ensure that when Auckland gets the funding to do the work we need to tdo that we have the right organisation in place who can get on and deliver the real improvements in an efficient and effective manner," he says.

"We going to tell Government that we have a proposal coming and that they should listen to our ideas before making up their own minds about what's good for Auckland," says Mayor Law. [ends]

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