Viewpoint – Connections growing

I hope everyone’s had the chance to have a good break over the summer. People lead increasingly hectic lives these days so time out is important for both physical and mental health. And this time of year, of course, is when the stunning beauty of the Hibiscus Coast is seen in its full glory.

Also stunning in its own way was the recent announcement that the start date for Penlink has been brought forward to the end of next year (finished by 2025). This dovetails nicely with the $700m Northern Motorway Improvements currently occurring from Oteha to Constellation and also with our rapidly developing bus service at Silverdale and evolving ferry service at Gulf Harbour.

This means that over the next few years the Hibiscus Coast’s transport network will be genuinely transformed, the irony being that what was not so long ago a far flung outpost of Auckland with few transport choices, will be one of the best connected in the region served by expanding bus, ferry and road networks.

That’s important because there is no one silver bullet – all these improvements have an important part to play, along with practical works like the dynamic laning of Whangaparaoa Road which provides relief in the interim while the big projects are delivered. For as we all know, these transport projects do not happen overnight. They are often the culmination of years (and in some cases decades) of work from transport agencies, council staff, politicians and the community at large.

It can be a tortuous path navigating the now complex planning, consenting and funding regimes with the average delivery time for a major project from the point of approval in Auckland now 10 years. This certainly gives new meaning to the old proverb “patience is a virtue.”

In the case of Penlink we don’t have that lengthy lead in time because much of this work was already done, courtesy of the legacy Rodney District Council which, although it could never afford to actually build Penlink, was responsible for much of the initial planning, land purchase and consultation that was subsequently picked up by successive governments and Auckland Council. So roll on all these transport improvements!

On more immediate matters, the decision to quarantine people returning from China at the Naval base at Army Bay is an illustration of how, just as we are connected into a much wider transport network, as a country we’re also connected into an increasingly vulnerable world. That’s why in this instance and others, a co-operative, informed and decisive response is required to safeguard everyone’s interests, not just as inhabitants of one town or country but as citizens of the world.