Basin Flyover Appeal: NZ Transport Agency Refuses To Learn From Past Mistakes
The Save the Basin Campaign has described a decision by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) to appeal the Board of
Inquiry decision declining consent for its proposed Basin Reserve flyover as an indictment of the Agency's refusal to
learn from its mistakes.
“The Board of Inquiry delivered a comprehensive report giving clear reasons for declining the New Zealand Transport
Agency’s poorly conceived and badly put together proposal to build a flyover at the Basin Reserve,” Save the Basin
Campaign spokesperson Tim Jones said. “The Board’s decision made it clear that a flyover was not an appropriate
structure to build at the Basin Reserve.”
“Instead of accepting this decision, acknowledging the failure of its flyover plans and moving on to develop a better
proposal in partnership with the people of Wellington and with community groups, the NZTA has chosen to continue
pursuing its flyover plan through the courts,” Mr Jones said. “It seems that the NZTA's wounded pride is more important
to it than developing good transport solutions.”
On Radio New Zealand this week, Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee said in reference to the Basin flyover Board of
Inquiry that "good process should not be stalled to save costs". Clearly, he regards the Board of Inquiry as a good
process, but the New Zealand Transport Agency does not. The Save the Basin Campaign thinks that the Minister should have
instructed NZTA to stop obsessing over its failed flyover project, accept the decision and start working on an
alternative solution that works for Wellington, rather than wasting more taxpayer dollars on an appeal.
“Wellington is a modern capital city that deserves sustainable, modern transport solutions that take account of a unique
urban environment,” Mr Jones said. “It’s time that the NZ Transport Agency recognised that and stopped flogging a dead
horse.”
Mr Jones said that Save the Basin would be carefully considering its detailed response to NZTA's appeal once it had
received the appeal documents.
ENDS