Kicking butt at Auckland Transport (AT) was the key promise that got Wayne Brown elected Mayor of Auckland by a majority just over a year ago.
He said he would demand AT change its approach from, “What it thinks Aucklanders want, to what they actually want,” as well as declaring his was the strong arm to deal with all the run- amok Council Controlled Organisations (CCO’s). It looks instead like he has fallen in with them.
The appointment of Richard Leggat as Chair to the AT Board, seems to me to be counter intuitive. Leggat, a professional director is a self confessed MAMIL (middle-aged man in lycra), a well known cycling advocate, director of Bike NZ, chair of the NZ Cycling Trail and on the board of Cycling NZ.
Brown believes, “Leggat will bring a fresh perspective to lead Auckland Transport. He is well placed to drive the initiatives and innovations needed to improve transport outcomes in Auckland.”
Oh yeah, right! His past involvement on the Board of Waterfront Auckland and Eke Panuku should have rung alarm bells.
Facts not lost on Councillor Maurice Williamson who, at the Transport & Infrastructure Committee (TIC) meeting recently, questioned Mr Leggat’s appropriateness for the position of Chair, “I’m no car hater,” hissed Leggat in response.
Elected members really have no control of the CCO’s.
I had foolishly expected by now that Auckland Transport would be totally restructured. However, the long-term cycleway plans continue, as does the congestion creation, and I find every corner of our city brimming with safe space obstacles, suspension braking barricades and confusing painted road markings.
All deliberate impediments to the smooth flow of our city.
It’s no surprise that after listening to the mind numbing, self congratulating, fake statistic riddled corporate speak from Auckland Transport’s CEO Dean Kimpton, that I realise absolutely NOTHING has changed.
The pedal power of the bike lobby in Tamaki Makaurau is not to be underestimated, nor the shrewd antics of City Vision, the well-meaning Women in Urbanism Aotearoa (WiUA) and of course AT’s own special breed of very annoying cone heads.
Removing all parking on Meola Road, narrowing the passageway to an unsafe squeeze and filling in the historic indented bus stops is proof of their agenda.
Combine this with AT’s intention to build 27 raised crossings at a total cost of over $850,000 along Pt Chevalier Road, Meola Road and Garnet Road now feels like a siege on the good citizens of Waitematā/Western Bays, who have fought long and hard to stop this rort.
Brown blames the factions within council for not supporting him, but I blame him for ‘drinking the Kool-Aid’, thus fuelling his own neo-liberal hallucinations. Clearly a citizen uprising is the only way forward, innovative actions of passive resistance perhaps?
The Meola Road mess is an example of “incompetence not corruption,” says one Auckland Transport insider. Back in 2018, AT’s own safety report highlighted over 45 roading, footpath and drainage failures along the Richmond Road, West Lynn cycleway route, most of which have still not been fixed.
Brown’s desire to suddenly seek approval from the woke faction who deplored his ascent is most strange, even stranger is the blatant support from Simon Wilson who has become Brown’s biggest ‘fanboy'.
The community groups that worked hard to leverage him into the top spot are now in shock, with the news that the Mayor now intends to increase rates by 38% over the next three years rather then stick to his pre-election promise to reprioritise and reorganise the way the corporate arm of Auckland Council spends our money.
These details are contained in the 773 page document up on the council website. See it for yourself.
The 'Public Consultation' over the Long Term Plan has begun and, unless we raise our voices loud and clear, this corporate capture of our public assets will be completed.
Brown was voted in to stop Panuku getting into bed with private developers and yet that is exactly what is going on as they sell off public buildings and properties, unchecked, across the city.
Apparently, the mantra currently muttered in the corridors at Council regarding the proposed extreme rates hike is “pay more, get less!” How on earth do they think the current citizens of Auckland will be able to absorb the extra costs?
They need to stop spending so much of our money on rearranging roads and focus on curtailing their own spending. (Lisa Prager, Westmere)
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Published: March 2024