My Account
Frustration was evident all round at a Penlink meeting held for local business representatives in Silverdale last week.
The meeting, held at Te Herenga Waka o Orewa marae in Silverdale on December 8 was hosted by the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce.
It was attended by around 35 business representatives, mainly from Silverdale and Whangaparaoa, as well as local politicians and Auckland Transport representatives.
The local board enlisted the backing of Chamber chief executive Michael Barnett for the Penlink project in July last year and Mr Barnett held the recent meeting to garner further support so he can continue to advocate for the project.
Those who back the project say that building the Penlink toll road between Whangaparaoa Peninsula and Redvale is key to minimising congestion, promoting choice and unlocking productivity on the Hibiscus Coast as the area grows.
These views were laid out at the meeting. Penlink has been deferred by Auckland Transport, with no public investment before 2025-45. Mr Barnett said he would like the project brought forward, to a start date within the next five years.
However, with the estimated $390 million needed to build the 7km road the key stumbling block, some were keen to crunch the numbers with a view to getting things moving even faster via a public private partnership.
Mr Barnett said that “five or six” private organisations, including NZ-based banking institutions, have expressed an interest and that discussions are ongoing with all of them.
BSW Architects associate director business development, Wang Li, who attended the marae meeting, was also keen to see details of the business case: Cr John Watson promised to expedite this for him.
