Transport turmoil

An apparently straightforward Rodney Local Board meeting to agree feedback on a 10-year transport plan last week descended into confusion after disagreements and the early departure of chair Brent Bailey.

The problems started when it was found that there would be no public forum at the extraordinary business meeting to discuss the draft Regional Land Transport Plan. This was questioned by members, as Glen Ashton was present to give his views on unsealed roads.

Bailey said it wasn’t on the standing orders and he’d been advised there was no public forum.

Michelle Carmichael said there had been public forums in previous extraordinary meetings and, after a degree of toing and froing, Ashton was allowed to speak.

(At two previous extraordinary meetings, on May 1 and June 12, public forums had been on the agenda, but it wasn’t for the July 1 meeting. The board’s standing orders say the order of business for such a meeting should be limited to items that are relevant and the chair may allow public input that is relevant.)

Geoff Upson then put forward a lengthy and detailed amendment to the recommended feedback that included a number of specific projects, including replacing pavers in Wellsford and funding for the Matakana Coast Trail.

Carmichael said it needed incorporating into the existing feedback, rather than stand alone as a new recommendation, so members should work to do that.

Bailey disagreed.

“It’s poorly drafted, it’s full of political grandstanding, it actually doesn’t help,” he said. “What we need is to be concise.”

Mark Dennis went further, branding much of Upson’s contribution as “waffle”.

Bailey maintained there was no time left to workshop the material, so adjourned the meeting and said he was leaving.

However, deputy chair Louise Johnston then stepped in to chair the meeting, members work-shopped the new material into their recommendations and voted to submit the amended feedback to Auckland Transport.