Viewpoint – No more woolly language

The recent opening of the new Ara-Tūhono Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway is a welcome development for Rodney, making the drive north quicker and smoother. But it does highlight the pitfalls of undertaking a major infrastructure project. This motorway could have been done much cheaper and the savings would have paid to go all the way to Wellsford.

As an engineer, I know all too well that these big projects often run over time and over budget. When you’re planning something on that scale, even small mistakes can have big consequences. Reports of unstable gullies and damage caused by landslides mean that the new road is already in need of a major patch-up job.

That is why my priority is to fix the infrastructure we’ve got before starting anything new. Unfortunately, the politicians in Wellington are obsessed with making big headline-grabbing announcements about multi-billion dollar bridges and tunnels that might possibly happen but for which there isn’t any money.

Local communities get ignored and much needed work is neglected.

Instead, money is sucked up by consultants who are paid to investigate dubious business cases and write reports nobody will ever read. The rest of it appears to be spent on speed bumps and pedestrian crossings in all the wrong places! Decision-makers need to rethink what is important.

Take, for example, the terrible Hill Street intersection that I know is the bane of every motorist in Warkworth. It’s a problem that should have been fixed years ago, but there is still no sign of work starting. Then there are the 730 kilometres of unsealed roads throughout the region, not to mention all the potholes. These are easy fixes that shouldn’t cost much.

In the coming months, I’ll be leading the development of Auckland Council’s long-term plan or 10-year budget. It’s more than just a financial document. It is an opportunity for elected members to set a new direction and finally get some things done. The feedback I’ve heard from ratepayers and councillors alike is that they are used to feeling like passive bystanders, rather than active participants, when it comes to council decision-making.

Auckland Council should be more than a rubber stamp at the end of a long bureaucratic process. As mayor, my job is to lead for Auckland, not be led by Wellington. That means getting a fair deal for Aucklanders.

Unlike my predecessors, I have no party allegiance or loyalties and it doesn’t bother me who the prime minister is. But with the election coming up in October, I won’t be sitting quietly on the side-lines. I’ll be reminding the parties that they can’t take Auckland for granted anymore.

We’ve had enough of woolly language and blue-sky thinking. It’s time for practical solutions. I was elected to get results and that remains my focus.