North Shore Times (New Zealand)
CONGESTION SUGGESTION
Some years ago, Takapuna Borough Council considered a linkage across a narrow arm of Shoal Bay between Francis St and the Esmonde Rd/Barrys Point Rd intersection.
Lake Rd congestion could be addressed by such a link from Jutland Rd, at least for buses and high-occupancy vehicles, ambulances and fire engines. Then, even better, for at least oneway peak traffic.
Extension southwards from Francis St towards Eversleigh Rd would cross Northboro Reserve and on to Bayswater Ave, just east of O’Neill’s Point Cemetery. That link would service a proposed precinct and Navy/Ngati Whatua development.
The above would require longer term planning, with staged work to suit budgets and with refinements such as lane controls or one-way systems to suit peak flows.
In the recent Auckland Transport ‘‘business case’’ presentation to the Devonport -Takapuna Local Board, there was a cryptic reference to alternatives at the start, and then nothing, just an Esmonde Rd high-occupancy bypass, followed by yet more proposals for widening Lake Rd.
What is really at stake is the future viability of the peninsula, which is a town planning issue, not something to leave to Auckland Transport, but rather to be critically addressed by Auckland Council. What’s needed is thinking outside the square [or, in this case, outside the bottlenecks].
All strength to the local board for challenging the AT offering; they need our full support. Submissions on the Draft Local Plan close at the end of June. John Duder
Devonport
PRIVATISATION CONCERNS
Here we go again! Councils undertake massive tasks, with consequent unsustainable debt, and some mayors and councillors reach for the public’s assets to help get themselves off the hook. Meantime, on the sideline, salivating, are commercial interests wanting to take over great assets for long-term, certain, major income flow.
Our mayor and some councillors are floating the idea of privatising the vital ports. On June 20 (New Zealand Herald, B5) Auckland Chamber of Commerce boss Michael Barnett suggests adding Watercare to the privatisation list.
These are two of the region’s most valuable and important public assets, which must be kept in the control of the public, to whom they belong.
Water is an absolute essential of life, increasingly valuable and likely to suffer profit-gouging by private companies, as demonstrated in many countries, including the UK and France.
Mr Barnett feeds the council’s facile arguments about how to make the sales acceptable to the public, enlisting comments of the Prime Minister, and stating the ‘‘council would get a good price,’’ among other things, ignoring significant income that would be permanently lost to the council and ratepayers.
What is revealing and encouraging, is a National Business Review article by Tim Hunter (June 16) pouring scorn on a report by Infrastructure NZ, which puts forward a number of shaky claims of the ‘‘virtues’’ of selling Watercare and pointing to important errors in the report.
Neither Infrastructure NZ nor Auckland Council has a case for selling these valuable and essential public assets.
Tony Holman
Northcote Pt
HAVE YOUR SAY
Letters should not exceed 250 words and must have full name, residential address and phone number. The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or withhold any correspondence without explanation. Letters may be referred to others for right of reply before publication. Email: nsnews@snl.co.nz Mail: North Shore Times, PO Box 79, Orewa