My Account
The One Warkworth Business Association met with Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford to promote the town’s roading priorities.
A meeting between One Warkworth Business Association and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford to discuss roading priorities failed to generate much optimism for the troubled Hill Street intersection
One Warkworth told Mr Twyford at the meeting on September 15 that funding for Auckland Transport’s new design for the intersection was still uncertain.
But Mr Twyford said it was doubtful that the Government’s National Land Transport Fund would come to the rescue.
He said the fund had taken a $1 billion hit to its revenue because of Covid-19 and had had to spend $200 million to keep buses on the road.
“We are not exactly flush at the moment,” Mr Twyford said.
However, he said the Government and Auckland Transport would soon update the Auckland Transport Alignment Plan (ATAP), which would provide a chance for lobbying for funding Hill Street.
One Warkworth also raised the need to finish the western link road (western collector) to ease pressure from imminent development to the west of Warkworth, including Stubbs Farm.
Auckland Transport has indicated it will only consider building the collector road over the next 10 to 30 years.
The delay will put pressure on the Hill Street intersection and Hudson Road, from western residents accessing the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway.
But Mr Twyford offered some hope by saying that the Government had recently changed the law to allow developers to levy households over an extended time period to pay for road infrastructure.
He said a guaranteed levy could be used to borrow now and start building the road infrastructure ahead of time.
“We did that because Auckland Council cannot borrow any more to finance roads. It’s at its debt limits,” he said.
“We want development to come down to whether it is commercially viable, not whether the Council can have it on its balance sheet.”
Mr Twyford said that in August, the Government updated the National Policy Statement (NPS) on urban development requiring Councils to provide zoning for expected growth.
“The NPS update is designed to make Council much more permissive and expansive,” he said.
He added that current zoning conditions encouraged developers to land bank rather than develop.
“If we get zoning and financing right, the market will do the heavy lifting. If zoning allows it, demand will drive development,” he said.
On the topic of tolling the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway, Minister Twyford would not commit to
a position.
“Tolling is attractive to any government as a way of generating revenue,” he said.
“However, the NZTA is required to consider value for money, public opinion and whether there is a safe and free alternative before tolling.”
Link to a map by Auckland Council showing possible road developments in the next 10 to 30 years: https://supportinggrowth.govt.nz/assets/2019-Launch-Website/a0e637acb9/Warkworth-Indicative-Strategic-Transport-Network.pdf
