Dear Minister of Transport Simeon Brown, re: Fake and Flawed consultation by Auckland Transport
I write on behalf of many thousands of ordinary Aucklanders who are in deep despair over the wilful destruction and conscious congestion of their city by Auckland Transport (AT). We call upon the Government to immediately intervene and amend the Local Government Act 2022 that allows the Auckland Council CEO Mr Phil Wilson and AT CEO Mr Dean Kimpton to wilfully disrupt the streets of Auckland.
The financial, social and environmental impact caused by AT’s road works everywhere, all at once, is seriously impacting people’s lives and livelihoods.
Not only is the public’s right to freedom of movement being interfered with, but the commitment to redesign our roads is predicated on 'Fake & Flawed' consultation. Under the Local Government Act 2022, AT is required to engage with the community. “A local authority must, in the course of its decision-making process in relation to a matter, give consideration to the views and preferences of persons likely to be affected by, or to have an interest in, the matter."
The manipulation of the consultative process is evident as well as AT’s collusion with cycle lobby groups including Bike Auckland.
Since 2017 when ex Auckland Council CEO Stephen Town instigated the policy of 'creating congestion’, the concerns and objections from elected members and the community have been ignored. Mr Town claimed this policy would drive people onto public transport (privately owned). Since then other excuses have been added such as pedestrian safety and cycleway construction.
Public concerns have been raised at both local board and governing body meetings via submissions, petitions, presentations and social media. All have been ignored and the public’s trust in local government is now at an all time low. The rise in emissions caused by the increase in congestion contradicts the Government’s attempts to reduce carbon and slow global warming.
In October 2022, Wayne Brown was elected, with a decisive margin, on his promise to fix Auckland and to control AT’s ongoing plans to narrow main arterial routes, stall traffic with in-line bus stops and build more cycleways. However, his attempt to fulfil his promises has been foiled by the failings of the current legislation, along with objections from executive council officers and their in-house legal advisers.
The gentrification of Karangahape Road has reduced this iconic bohemian strip to a slippery sideshow of its former self. Once bustling shops are now sad empty shells with urine-stained doorways. Street by street Auckland Transport seems to be taking a perverse pleasure in destroying whatever was good, historic or functional in our community. With the imminent reappointment of Dean Kimpton as CEO of Auckland Transport it is clear nothing will alter unless the current Government makes immediate legislative changes.
It is an open secret that Auckland Transport will use its street resealing programme from the Grey Lynn Shops via Surrey Crescent, Old Mill Road and Garnet Road to action their long-term desire to remove the generous median strip and build a contentious cycleway that was successfully opposed by locals in 2018. Councillors Mike Lee and Greg Moyle were shocked to see how the Westmere Village is being redeveloped by contractors Dempsey Wood. Moyle mused, “If it ain’t broken why fix it?”
Local people in Ponsonby, Grey Lynn, West Lynn, Pt Chevalier and Westmere feel frustrated that their once free-flowing roads have been ripped up, narrowed and littered with street obstacles. Auckland Transport is spending over $29.3 million of ratepayer money on the Meola Road/ Westmere Village makeover. Some of this spend can be justified in pipes, drainage and resurfacing, but narrowing a major arterial route and removing all free parking for Seddon Sports fields and Meola Reef dog walking park is a blatant abuse of public funds and good will. If we are to restore public faith in local governance then handing the job to Waka Kotahi is not the answer.
Only immediate legislative change to the Local Government Act will achieve a better outcome. (Lisa Prager)
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