Editor
I write in response to the numerous omissions in the recent advertisement by NZTA (New Zealand Transport Agency) in some local newspapers.
First I draw your attention to the maps that the adverts says are available.
They are not. If you look you get “Document not found”.
This gives an immediate indication at the poor quality of the background work here.
Second I draw your attention to the NZTA press release on Monday the 19th July.
This states that the road will not be fully complete until 2121 or after.
Yet the advert implies the road will be complete by 2017.
A difference of opinion within NZTA ?
I remind you that the two lane WLR could be complete by 2012.
I remind you that the two lane WLR could cost $120 million.
I note that nowhere does it state the $500 million budget.
I guess that this omission is because they already know that it will be much more than this.
More because of the bits they forgot to tell us about during the consultation.
It is interesting to see that BECA are mentioned.
Is that the same company who took a third of a million off KCDC for their SH-1 Expressway alternatives ?
I note that NZTA omit to mention the 1996 decision to make the “m2pp” section a local road and the 2008 decision to make it a two lane road.
I note too that NZTA say journey times will be quicker.
Yet the GWRC study in 2005 shows it to be 1 minute 40 seconds longer every journey on the proposed route that the current SH-1 with improvements.
I also note that no mention of the $1 million plus that KCDC will have to stump up out of our rates for maintaining SH-1 when it become their local road.
I also note that there is no mention of the cost of Nathan Guy “SH-1 safety improvements” that need to be done, as a recent AA study has shown.
KCDC will have to do these when it becomes the local road I guess.
Again more money from our rates.
I note that there is no mention of the extra million of dollars for the southern cut through of QE II park.
I also note the there is no proposal for solving the Elizabeth Street issue when electrification starts.
Will KCDC and our rates have to pay for this too ?
Where is the mention of the new airport connectivity ?
A fourth intersection at yet more extra millions of dollars.
How can this advert miss out the use of the word Sandhills ?
Easy because it will not follow the WLR designation at Waikanae because of the Urupa.
So they fail to mention the additional purchase of dwellings on Puriri Road.
What a load of rubbish, how much did the advert cost ?
Certainly not value for our money.
NZTA also failed to mention expected cost benefit of only 0.6 for the m2pp section.
That’s 40 cents in every dollar down the drain.
Would you put your money in a bank that only gave you back 60 cents in every dollar?
Finally, and there’s lots more, they fail to mention the Board of Enquiry.
This in truth is why KCDC took 10 years to sort out the designation for a two lane road.
The four lane motorway will be years in legal turmoil all at extra expense out of our pockets.
And which pigs are eating from that trough ?
Oh yes all those currently in the Alliance.
Eat heartily boys, we can afford it.
It’s not like we are in a recession or something it is ?
Colin Baxter
Waikanae