Excuse For Blocking Electric Trains Won't Wash

Transport Minister’s new excuse for blocking electric trains for Auckland won't wash - ARC Chairman points to double standard

27 September 2009

Transport Minister Steven Joyce couldn't be more wrong when he claims that Auckland’s public transport and urban development is currently unplanned.

Furthermore the Minister appears to have come up with this as a new argument to justify his continued foot dragging around funding for new electric trains and expansion of commuter rail for Auckland.
 
“The rationale for electrification and the CBD tunnel in terms of city building is self evident, but I suggest the Minister gets himself up to speed on all the work that was done before he was elected,” says ARC Chairman Mike Lee. 

“I am more than happy to help with that.  On Monday, I will be sending the Minister a courier van load of plans and strategy documents put together by the Auckland Regional Council group and other local authorities working in conjunction with central government over the past five years.

“Among the consignment of weighty documents on their way will be the Auckland Regional Growth Strategy, Boston Consulting Group report on rail electrification, Regional Land Transport Strategies (the current new draft version), the joint Auckland Transport Strategic Alignment Programme (drawn up by regional and central government officials in 2006), and the Auckland One Plan (2008) that aligns central government and regional objectives around upgrading commuter rail for Auckland.  

“Finally I'll be sending the Minister the Auckland rail electrification business plan 2006 that was drawn up by Brian Roche, who is now Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency. 
“I find it incredible that the Minister appears not to know about these documents much less to have read them.  If he is using the lack of paperwork as a belated pretext for blocking the funding of electric trains then he better find himself a better excuse.  That one just won't wash with Aucklanders. 

“Wellington is getting a brand new fleet of electric trains and extension of electrification including tunnelling to upgrade its public transport while Auckland is getting diddly squat,” says Mr Lee. 

“However, when it comes to roads, the Minister can proclaim a $2.3 billion holiday highway between Puhoi and Wellsford as a 'road of national significance' without it appears any cost benefit analysis at all. 

“Why the double standard Minister?  It is beginning to feel like the Minister has been captured by roading interests, and is only taking notice of what he wants to. 

“The facts that I will be sending the Minister tomorrow speak for themselves.  Auckland desperately needs the Government to honour the commitment it made to help fund electrification and upgrade the Auckland rail network.   

“Public transport patronage will not continue to grow without this investment.  And to any Aucklander stuck in traffic, it’s easy to see that roads alone won’t solve congestion and get Auckland moving again. 

“It seems to be that this Minister has a real problem with double standards - especially his double standard about his holiday road as against commuter rail for Auckland.” 

Mr Lee was responding to articles on the Super City quoting the Minister that appeared in the NZ Herald on 26 September 2009. 

ENDS

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