Queen Street upgrade – was there a better way?

18 June 2007

Media Release

Queen Street upgrade – was there a better way?

The Auckland Chamber of Commerce has a lot of sympathy for the Queen Street businesses affected by the long-running disruption while the street is upgraded, with chief executive Michael Barnett asking if the disruption could be minimised if more work was done at night.

“If New Zealand’s commercial capital is to be transformed into a top, visually attractive international city, the upgrade was essential. However, I wonder whether the project was being undertaken as efficiently as it could be.”

Queen St businesses pay huge rates and should be given every consideration to ensure they are easy to access and visit during the working day.

While a project of a different scale, he noted that Papakura’s Mainstreet was also being upgraded with the work being done at night and the street usable during the day.

Papakura Mayor John Robinson confirmed that the Council had deliberately staged the project to avoid as much disruption as possible, with the under-grounding work all being done at night and then covered over to allow full use of the street during the day.

ENDS

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