“The Big Issue”: councils & transport

16 comments on ““The Big Issue”: councils & transport ”

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1. Sable 1

   5 August 2013 at 11:25 am

   Its inexplicable to me why New Zealand roads are so bad. I suspect those working on our roads are not doing their job properly, the question is why? Perhaps constant revision of road works makes the contractors more money then doing the job thoroughly the first time out.
   • ghostwhowalksnz 1.1

     5 August 2013 at 4:56 pm

     A small population in a medium sized country. Roughly the same size as UK but only a 15th of population. And south island is even more sparesly populated.

     Roads to high standard cost the same anywhere, but if you dont have as many to pay for it, something doesnt add up.
2. Takere 2

   5 August 2013 at 2:42 pm

   The plan proposed is a dog …… it’s an expensive bitsa. Central Govt needs to fund it or return the $9b dollars of regional Road User levies to Aucklanders that Fat Boys Brownlee & Joyce stole from that fund that was run between 1996 to 2006/7 in the Auckland region. That can pay for that machine boring the tunnels on the northwestern motorway and when its finished that, keep it down there for a 5/10 years tunnelling throughout Auckland to create a underground network for electric trains able to travel in both directions! Simultaneously!! Cancel the contract with the Well Connected Group of Parasites too!
3. mickysavage 3

   5 August 2013 at 2:48 pm

   Hi Karol

   Future West should be ready to announce all of its candidates tomorrow. And I am sure that we will support at least in principle the congestion free network proposal which to my mind is a brave and forward looking proposal.
   • karol 3.1

     5 August 2013 at 5:18 pm

     Thanks, micky. Excellent. I’ll be looking forward to tomorrow’s launch with interest.
4. Tiger Mountain 4

   5 August 2013 at 3:27 pm

   Minto for Mayor! Free public transport on existing system, with expansion of services planned.

   Well nothing is really free but, but, less congestion for a starter. I know an older woman who because of redundancy and fear of no job, moved with her company location from West to South and spends $125 per week on various buses, getting her first one at 5.30am home 6.30–7.

   Such people would like Minto for Mayor. And you bludging guys in the black Audis would no doubt too with the riff raff on trains and buses instead of their unsightly jappers.
   • Takere 4.1

     6 August 2013 at 9:40 am

     Haha! And further down the track, once all of the riff-raff are using cheap(er) public transport. The Audi-ites can get taxed fairly for their use of roadways! User pays is finally here or about!?
5. Rosetinted 5

   6 August 2013 at 9:20 am

   A related issue is the frustration and even anger felt by regional councils at the lack of interest of central government in fair distribution. Fair in NACTs case means looking for Auckland to be a pretty city, that will be ‘world class’, one which tourists and wealthy ‘investors’ will be drawn to.

   Fair in regional councils case is getting a decent share of the nation’s taxes to maintain and supply needed infrastructure, roading etc. Of course this has become more difficult now that they are being treated like businesses that can make big expenditure decisions (such as Dunedin stadium, and now in Christchurch gubmint is forcing them to take on big ticket items). Central government gave them the right to ‘general competence’ in finance, but doesn’t actually want them to be self-governing, so the ratepayers have to cope with this mixed model of apparent freedom but central government control.

   And central gubmint is able to encourage or pressure them to enter into projects that don’t show good cost benefit results with the long-term costs lying on the ratepayers shoulders, such as the Dunedin stadium. I heard a Pacific Island report on Radionz, I think about Tonga. They have had some outstanding buildings and infrastructure built by Chinese firms using Chinese labour, but then they don ‘t provide maintenance. The buildings seem to be more than what is actually needed, so they are not fully used, and the country is virtually having to borrow to keep them maintained, increasing their debt burden. It is interesting to see a similar mode of operation taking place in provincial NZ.

   The provinces I think feel like the poor cousins of Auckland, the Queen city. And perhaps cousins on the wrong side of the blanket, that don’t get talked about much. No wonder that there is a call to set up a political party that represents the provinces. We could have that under MMP and it would have a focussed mandate, unlike Labour that spouts out things about workers and housing and so on, repeating what are the loudest calls, like my battery operated parrot. That battery if worn out, silences the parrot, until it is replaced. But then it still does not say anything original, it can only repeat what registers in its mechanical memory.
   • karol 5.1

     6 August 2013 at 9:33 am

     Well, it is a strongly related issue, Rosetinted, albeit not directly related to transport.

     As an Aucklander and a Kiwi, I don’t want to see Auckland growing (in population) excessively while the rest of the country is given secondary consideration. I’d like to see the population and economic considerations being spread around fairly. The excessive focus on Auckland as a commercial centre will be damaging to the well-being of the city.

     Meanwhile, coming back to transport, Aaron Hawkins posted today on The Daily Blog about the neglect of public transport in Dunedin.

     I wonder how much the government is pressuring the council to focus on things like stadiums, while ignoring basic infrastructure like public transport?
     • Rosetinted 5.1.1

       6 August 2013 at 9:58 am

       karol
       In Tasman-Nelson region the Mayor I think, was carrying on about not being able to afford to keep rural roads in order. There was a recent photo from the Nelson Mail showing a repair being done on a main road in Golden Bay, which has been washed away again before the original repair was finished. The climate ‘bombs’ and the forecast extended weather events will make road maintenance more difficult and expensive. And Tasman is a tourist area, as well as being a busy enterprising place.

       Is gubmint going to abandon regions at whim, like Gisborne having its important rail link whipped away. They have put their heads together there and I think I caught a rumble about an idea to reinstate it. It may take a private-public partnership, which would be a forward move in those circumstances. It needs a gubmint really keen on all NZs having a place in the whole economy, not just putting all efforts into training, PRs, lawyers, chefs, barristas and, for a while the building industry, and economists of course, running a casino economy dependent on foreign money which might not stand up to scrutiny as to its provenance.
6. tracey 6

   6 August 2013 at 12:49 pm

   I have followed the transport blog for a while and more recently the zero project. If vested interest was put aside for an hour the wood would be seen for thectrees
   • Takere 6.1

     6 August 2013 at 1:20 pm

     You’re onto it Tracey. It’s dog, a bitsa ….. playing into the roading oligarchies hands! Aucklands land-locked by the sea. This ill conceived plan is purely a party vote grabbing middle class go nowhere plan. It’ll be shelved the day after the election. So for currying a vote or two …it’s a pretty expensive bribe??
     • karol 6.1.1

       6 August 2013 at 1:27 pm

       Takere, do you mean that the Congestion Free Network is an expensive bribe, or the government/RONS or the Akl council City Rail Link plan?

       Ditto to tracey: I’m not sure whether you are for or against the ATB and zero project.
       • Takere 6.1.1.1

         6 August 2013 at 1:39 pm

         Yes Karol, the CFN is a bitsa and a bribe to gather votes in Auckland ……the ACC plans are nearly a sensible solution but what it needs is Len to hit Jerry & Joyce up for them to return the Road User Levies collected in the Auckland Region from 1996-2006/7 worth about $9 billion dollars! That’ll pay for Rail double tracking so the public & Freight can be transported by rail. Freeing up the roads a bit more for buses. Use that tunnel boring machine more after its finished the NW route. Keep it underground for a few more years to create a comprehensive underground rail network throughout the Auckland Region. If we really need to build more roads, use the space above the present motorway (because we’ve already paid for the ground under it) network and then separate commercial use from private use and tax accordingly.
   • Rosetinted 6.2

     6 August 2013 at 1:25 pm

     tracey
     You might have some thoughts on this. I remember when transport companies’ contracting out driving work was really getting going. The drivers were encouraged to buy their own trucks and contract to the company for the work.

     This cut down on the heavy expenses of the transport industry supplying their own vehicles which, getting bigger, are getting more expensive. And the maintenance and administration and adometers and disel tax etc.

     I wonder how many still buy their own, and what proportion of trucks do the transport companies own outright? It would seem to be much more profitable for the transport companies to put less investment in trucks.

Links to post

1. The Daily Blog Watch Monday 5 August « The Daily Blog: posted on 6 August 2013 at 6:57 am

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