Cyclists, walkers a step closer to crossing Harbour Bridge

Auckland councillors have given the final tick to a means of paying for a cycling and walking path across the city’s Harbour Bridge.

Last week the council’s finance committee unanimously agreed that the $33 million SkyPath should be funded by a publicprivate partnership, with the council underwriting the project to an agreed level.

On Thursday the council’s full governing body endorsed the plan, bringing the long-awaited pathway a step closer.

Despite a five-hour debate over the public-private partnership at the finance committee, in the end councillors voted as one in favour of it.

However, concerns were expressed again on Thursday about whether SkyPath would be suitable for dogs.

The pathway still has significant hurdles to overcome before it becomes a reality.

Residents’ groups opposed to the project are taking it to the Environment Court, with hearings due to be held later this year.

Under the terms of the partnership, a toll will be charged to use SkyPath, and the council will underwrite revenue from the toll up to an agreed level.

If tolls don’t meet forecasts the council will pay out, but if they exceed them the council will profit.

The group behind SkyPath, HRL Morrison and Co, will finance, design, build, maintain and operate the path as a user-pays facility for 25 years, when it will then revert to council ownership.

It is forecast the shared path will have more than 8700 users on Saturdays.

At the moment the council did not have any other option for funding an alternative means of getting over the bridge, councillor Linda Cooper said.

‘‘We’ve just got to get on with this one, and see how it works.’’

Northcote Point resident Jeremy Richards told the finance committee the partnership was in effect a ‘‘massive subsidy’’ by Auckland ratepayers ‘‘propping up a flawed business case’’ dependent on outside influences.

Until the New Zealand Trans- port Agency released data on SkyPath’s effect on the bridge, the council was ‘‘not in a position to take a commercial position . . . you’re effectively playing poker with ratepayer funds’’.

SkyPath supporters insist there is great public demand for the project which would link up with existing and planned cycle routes.