Demand for Mayor to put Central Rail Link on hold

NoMoreRates has written to Mayor Len Brown asking him to postpone work on the Central Rail Link project until full funding is securely in place, including Government’s half share of the cost.

The request was sent ahead of today’s budget meeting which includes more than an allocation $300 million to take the CRL to Albert St over the next three years.

NoMoreRates Founder, David Thornton, said “The Mayor is proposing to spend this money using proceeds from a new fixed Transport Rate levied on all ratepayers. This means a huge average rate increase of around 9.5% for residential ratepayers and is totally against ratepayers wishes as expressed in feedback to the Council on the draft 10-year Long Term Plan.”

David Thornton also asked the Mayor what would happen if the Government did not agree to allow motorway charging to fund the CRL.

NoMoreRates asked the Mayor to stop spending on the tunnel and “..re-prioritise the budget to allow for those dozens of other smaller projects which would have an immediate and direct impact on Auckland’s transport problems”

The full text of the letter follows;-

I am deeply concerned at the transport elements of your 2015-2015 LTP (budget).

In the past four years you have promised many times that you would pull together a funding package for the CRL – and you have totally failed in that respect, despite which you continue to demand that the main works on the project will start in 2017/18.

You also stated that ‘enabling’ works need to start now because Precinct Properties will soon be building a tower block over the site where the tunnel from Britomart will start.

I understand a design contract for $3 million has recently been awarded to cover just that short distance. Further design work will be needed for the work from this point but that design contract has not been awarded.

In this budget you propose to push forward and build the tunnel out up Albert Street to Wyndham but in so doing demand rate increases averaging around 10% by way of ‘an interim transport levy’ – more correctly known as a Targeted Rate.

You did not put this proposal fairly and clearly before ratepayers for their comments – instead it was hidden away in the wealth of online information. Deception at best.

Government has repeatedly advised you that it will permit neither fuel tax increases nor motorway tolls on state highways, yet you propose to introduce an ‘interim’ targeted transport rate to apply for three years until either motorway charges or fuel taxes are introduced.

What will you do if the Government maintains its position of ‘no’ to either tax or tolls?

What will you do then?

Extend the interim levy? Increase the interim levy?

The report on feedback warns you frequently that ‘there is a negative sentiment towards increased rates’.

You claim to have listened to public submissions calling for lower rates and you responded by reducing the general rate from 3.5% to $2.5% - thereby saving ratepayers an average $22 a year. And in the same breath you slap on a $99 a year transport rate.

While you have repeatedly claimed that Aucklanders support the CRL they have never been directly asked if they support a start on the project until funding is securely in place.

Indeed there is plenty of evidence in the feedback report that there are a sizable number of people strongly opposed to starting the project until all funding, including Government half-share, is firmly in place.

You and your office are responsible for preparing this budget and then you ask the Councillors to support it.

With the lack of certainty about transport funding I suggest the Councillors would be incredibly foolhardy to give approval to your budget, especially the transport element, and in particular the expenditure of several hundred million on the CRL.

I strongly urge you to put the CRL on hold until 2020 or until Government funding for at least half the projected cost is in place.

It would be the easiest thing in the world to stop the project as soon as the tunnel under the Precinct property is clear of that site. There is no crying demand to go any further – especially when to do so would involve spending money we don’t have!

Stop there - and then re-prioritise the budget to allow for those dozens of other small projects which would have an immediate and direct impact on Auckland’s transport problems.

And would give ratepayers a breather from your rapacious rate demands.

David Thornton

ENDS

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