"If elected as Mayor, I intend to put in place a strategy to crush the road lobby in Auckland" said Mr Hay. "On my watch, the Council will no longer reward the road lobby for distorting the infrastructure investment landscape in Auckland to suit its own purposes."

Media Release 11 May 2016

Mayoral candidate David Hay is adamantly opposed to the NZ Council for Infrastructure Development's proposal for an Eastern motorway from the CBD to Panmure, released this week.

"Auckland already as a plan for the strategic development of its transport network." said Mr Hay.

"The strategic transport network plan, which was published in the Auckland Plan five years ago, was carefully and thoughtfully developed. It evolved out of the Auckland Regional Council's Regional Land Transport Strategy 2010-2040. It will solve Auckland's traffic congestion problems by providing a second harbour crossing and other high-capacity, high-speed links from Auckland's central isthmus to the growth areas to the north, south, east and west."

The NZCID needs to get with the programme and back Auckland Council's plan." said Mr Hay.

"Reviving old ideas and coming up with new concepts is extremely unhelpful. This new motorway plan is divisive and disruptive. It will not help meet Auckland's current future transport needs."

Mr Hay proposes that, if he is elected Mayor of Auckland, the council will withdraw from membership of, and further participation in, the NZCID. This policy would apply to the Council and all its council-controlled organisations including Watercare and Auckland Transport.

"The NZCID represents the road lobby in Auckland" said Mr Hay.

"It replaced the Highways Action Trust, which had been previously called the Road Before Rails Trust. It is driven by the same group of people with vested commercial interests in road construction and maintenance."

"The council does not exist to serve the interests of the NZCID." said Mr Hay.

"Auckland Council needs to flex its political muscle, and assert its role as the democratically elected government of Auckland's citizens, by Auckland's citizens, and for Auckland's citizens. We can't have the tail wagging the dog: these construction, engineering and financing companies, which form the membership fo the NZCID, need to be put in their place and made to work for the interests of Aucklanders."

"If elected as Mayor, I intend to put in place a strategy to crush the road lobby in Auckland" said Mr Hay.

"Principally, this will involve specifying, in all council and CCO major infrastructure contracts, that supplier organisations may not be involved in lobbying the council or central government, either directly or indirectly through groups like the NZCID. Involvement in lobbying activities will also be taken into account in the tender evaluation process when major infrastructure tenders are being evaluated. Such involvement will count against the tenderer."

"On my watch, the Council will no longer reward the road lobby for distorting the infrastructure investment landscape in Auckland to suit its own purposes." said Mr Hay.

Map of Auckland's Strategic Transport Network (PDF, 13MB):

ENDS

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