Len Brown Seeks Auckland SuperMayoralty On Public Transport Issue

in General by Jon C — August 30, 2009 at 10:15 pm | 2 comments

Public transport has a new high profile champion - Manukau mayor Len Brown, who today confirmed he’ll compete against John Banks and other hopefuls to become the first mayor of Auckland’s supercity.

As this blog has noted, Brown is now a convert to rail as work progresses on the Manukau rail link.

At today’s news conference when he announced it, it was loud and clear that besides support for the contentious Maori seats-on-council issue, he would campaign for much improved public transport including committing to the proposed CBD rail loop (something Banks also is advocating and for which $6m has been confirmed as committed this week for a consultancy study) and the proposed Auckland Airport rail link.

He also told the gathering he’s very big on the integrated ticketing plan:

“In the 1950s we ripped up our inner city tramlines and in the 1960s we lost many harbour ferries with the opening of the harbour bridge. Motorways have shaped our expansion and urban design. We now need to be focused on retrofitting our city to free up our roads to ensure a choice of options for those going to and from work and school, to move the visitors coming in from our sea and airports, so as to provide commerce with a transportation system befitting a trading nation.
At the very centre, we need a 21st century public transport system. We need to back fully the implementation of a region-wide integrated ticketing system so that one ticket or pass will enable journeys that mix bus, train and ferry transport.”

And earlier today, on TVONE’s Q&A programme, Brown, refusing to confirm he’s the favoured leftie candidate, said he had the backing of “a number of people within” the Labour, Maori, Green and National parties.

He was asked by Guyon Espiner about his philosophy on transport:

“You mentioned transport there which would be foremost in a lot of Aucklanders’ minds, what substantial or significant or different have you got to bring to the table in terms of stopping the congestion and the hassle of driving and travelling around Auckland?

LEN To tell you the truth there’s been a lot of brilliant work done over the last year or two in particular, we’re really starting to move forward in public transport, we’ve gotta complete the electrification of the main trunk line. We’ve got 20 billion dollars worth of transportation, roading work, to be rolled out across this region in the next 15 years.

GUYON So it’s more or less planned for you isn’t it?

LEN No it’s going to be a much more comprehensive plan, but I’m gonna take on board the views of our community over the next 13 to 14 months, we’re gonna develop and roll out in our region a transportation plan that include our people’s views.”

Brown, in his campaign announcement put transport at the top of the challenges he wants to face if elected the position:

• Completing the work to build fully integrated transport system linking our roads, rail, airports and shipping ports, with a significant upgrade of public transport.

• Supporting the business community through the development of high-speed broadband, better regulations, greater support for tourism and events, and a much greater focus on the export sector and business development.

• Public ownership of assets is crucial to our long-term economic growth. Maintaining our interests in the airport, port and water are crucial to developing those assets for the benefit of all of Auckland.

• Protecting and enhancing facilities such as libraries, pools and parks, and working towards, over time, extending the free entry to swimming pools and John Walker Field of Dreams policies which currently exist in Manukau across the city

• Building on the significant work led by Waitakere, and picked up by the other cities. Sustainability must be central to the new city.

Public transport got a big media boost when it became a focal point in the recent Mt Albert by-election fuelled by Greens’ Russel Norman making it his key election plank and National announcing its Waterview highway strategy at the start of the month-long campaign.

Labour’s David Shearer soon got on the bandwagon by joining in a call for better public transport and even Act’s candidate was seen each morning on a Mt Albert electorate railway station chatting to potential voters.

So whether Brown’s the man, it’s awesome that so early in the race one candidate has strongly put his hat on making transport the number one priority and even his biggest rival John Banks seems to have softened his petrolhead image in recent times.

I can’t wait now for the mayoral race to get underway.

Tags: Airport rail link Auckland super council Auckland super mayor CBD rail loop David Shearer Greens John Banks Labour Len Brown Manukau City Council Mt Albert by-election Russel Norman