Brian Rudman’s piece in Monday’s NZ Herald “Long Twisted road to tunnel backflip” for the Waterview SH20 extension accurately sums up what has been a complete debacle over the past year.
Steven Joyce believes he can come up with a better scheme than the experts at NZ Transport Agency. His micro-managing has meant NZTA having to flip-flop to satisfy Joyce’s latest whim and political needs.
A longer tunnel is better of course, it has less social and environmental impact. It also comes closer to what the Labour government proposed originally. But think of the 200 families who for the past six months have needlessly lived through the hell of thinking their homes would be taken, only now to discover now that they may not. Think too of the people who live alongside Alan Wood park who will still lose their green space.
And don’t think for a moment that this issue is done and dusted. Expect major financial blowouts when there is the realisation that the new tunnel will go over budget, expect more backflips, more excuses and more press releases issued over the holiday period when the Government hopes they won’t be noticed. They certainly will because we deserve better.
David
Alan Wood reserve has long been designated a transport corridor. If you move to /buy in the area, you knew that this may happen.
Sweetd, the same was said for Hobson Bay. Transport corridor, yet when they produced draft plans all hell broke lose from the high and mighty.
Is Alan Wood Park not near to your place then?
Even when Joyce opened The Newmarket station the Gods werent smiling as there where no trains about ( as planned).
The actual work was done under labour but Joyce could make the trains run on time for his year in office
Ghost
Yep, Alan Wood Reserve is about 200 metres from my house.
When they first announced the changed plans, Joyce & Key where lying through their”eye teeth” about costs. With all the add-ins they made labours plans look excessive.
Know, off course they are trying to extract themselves from the lie.
I sincerely hope Labour makes the most of the flip flops when parliament sits again. It was frustrating last year to watch govt. ministers getting away with appalling mismanagement of their portfolios.
@ spud. Glad to see you havn’t gone.
I would vote for a government that doesn’t choose a corridor option merely because it provides the least impact on the surrounding area disregarding the monumental price tag compared with other options (and coincidentally the then Prime Ministers own Electorate).
@Sweetd
It has been designated for rail since, I think, 1948: the Avondale-Southdown link. It has never been designated for a motorway. There’s a considerable difference between an occasional train and a 4-6 lane motorway.
Chris T. It has been a motorway ‘ designation’ since the De Leuw Cather report of about 1965. So was Hobson Bay. Thats why most of the land is open space allready.
The land was never officially designated. It was only ever a vague line on an map. The De Leuw Cather report has lots of these ‘lines on maps’, with motorways going to New Lynn and Henderson. There is even a Dominion Road motorway shown. According to Sweetd’s reasoning half of Auckland would be at threat of being bowled. You can’t expect people to make house buying decisions on 40 year old reports prepared for council/govt.
@Anne – Hi
I’m in limbo 
!
Thanks for the feedback, I agree with Luke, my understanding was that Alan Wood Reserve was a desigated rail corridor, but not motorway. NZTA, I think needs to apply to use it. And a railway track – like in the Asquith Ave area of Mt Albert – can easily run close to houses with minimal disruption. Even more so when they’re electrified. Not a 6 lane motorway. But as I say, watch this space, I’m yet to be convinced this latest option can be built on this budget.