Pipeline planning

Auckland had a massive wake-up call when the fuel pipeline from Marsden Point to the city ruptured and there was no Plan B.

There have been suggestions that rail should be used, with spur lines being built from the refinery and from Puhinui to the airport. This seems to be a better solution than a second pipeline.

And those in the Auckland council-controlled organisations, who seem fixated on light rail from the CBD to the airport, should reflect that trams would have been useless in solving such a problem.

They should also reflect on the disruption which would eventuate if the harbour bridge was put out of action.

In view of what the pipeline has taught us, we should be better prepared, and Auckland mayor Phil Goff and the Government should give that project a much higher ranking.

Henry Perkins, Auckland