Minister For Auckland's Threat Valid

Minister For Auckland's Threat Highlights IA Deficiency

Judith Tizard's call for Infrastructure Auckland to front up with more cash for Britomart or she'll close it down is no way to get attention, but the point she makes is valid, the Employers & Manufacturers Association says.

"Ms Tizard is advised not to enter the fray swinging wild punches," said Alasdair Thompson, EMA's chief executive.

"She is a very late entrant to the public debate over Auckland's transport crisis.

"But she does have a point about how Infrastructure Auckland goes about its business.

"The best way to get rid of Infrastructure Auckland is for all of Auckland's councils to make sound applications to spend IA's millions on investing on Auckland's badly deficient infrastructure.

"Meanwhile the organisation appears to be building a bureaucracy. It's job is not to run an investment company. It should not be seeking to grow its asset base, employ a large staff, or keep an expensive board.

"It's sole purpose is to fund the replacement and extension of Auckland's roads, stormwater an other infrastructure.

"To achieve this it must give the most weight to projects that deliver the greatest public benefits. In doing so it will ipso facto ensure the city's infrastructure is brought back to a reasonable standard of international competitiveness.

"Auckland business wants the right infrastructure developments built with urgency, but Auckland's councils are being very slow at getting in applications across a broad range of high priority projects."

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