Subscribe to RSSSuper Mayor Candidates Differ On New Transport Model
A clear statement this morning from supercity mayoral candidate and Manukau mayor, Len Brown that public transport will be a key part of his campaign - and that he believes the proposed Auckland Transport “corporate model” is “wrong.”
But present mayor John Banks said the key was having good people, who aren’t “simply political appointments” on the CCO and then having the chairs of the CCOs visit his office once a month “to hold their feet to the fire and ensure they are contributing to the agreed vision for our city.”
In op-ed pieces to the Herald, which is running a campaign questioning the CCO set up, the candidates laid out their thoughts on the super-city set-up but only Brown wanted the Auckland Transport model changed - Banks said he would work with it.
Brown says:
Transport is a key issue for my campaign. If I am mayor, I will have a big agenda for public transport - finishing State Highway 20, developing an inner-city rail loop, and establishing another harbour crossing.
Being able to achieve these goals through a transport CCO established and appointed by Rodney Hide will be difficult. Aucklanders want a voice in how the new council will shape solutions. Placing transport in a corporate model effectively removes the community from the equation.As mayor I would establish clear lines of accountability and control. I would want to be able to hold Auckland Transport’s board to account, and see all reports and papers being prepared for the board. The new mayor and council will have a mandate which I would require Auckland Transport to implement. Moral authority stemming from the mayor’s direct mandate will be put to use.
Brown also gave an assurance he would not let assets be sold, as some critics suggest is a secret agenda of the set-up.
Banks, on the other hand says:
CCOs - particularly transport - will need to have very clear mechanisms in place for dealing with the public, especially local boards. If these relationships are not prioritised from the outset, then efforts of the CCOs will face an immediate credibility gap. I will push for the new council to have a greater say in “local” transport matters. We have found that CCOs are appropriate for some activities, providing a real focus on progress…
All the CCOs need to be absolutely committed to delivering on the council’s vision for a greater Auckland. They must work transparently and be accountable to the Mayor and Council but ultimately to the ratepayers who they will serve.
Earlier: Hide says council could sack appointments to transport body
8 Comments
This is just further reason why out of the two current candidates for Mayor, I would vote for Len Brown. I so hope that John Banks doesn’t win. In my opinion he’s a right-wing posh twit.
Good to see Len Brown mention the CBD Rail Tunnel. He certainly made best use of his 100 words I think.
Ummm, Jarbury he didn`t mention anything about the Airport rail and in particular anything about getting a designation done even though it is a project in his neck of the woods.
To be fair to Brown this was more of a high level statement than an action plan for transport. Good to see CBD tunnel is up on his radar though. Anyway no point having airport rail without CBD tunnel, no room for the trains otherwise.
I agree Luke, absolutely no point in building the Airport railway line until you’ve got somewhere to put the trains in the CBD - and that means a rail loop.
I am by now means a blind Len Brown fan. His track record in Manukau on transport matters is nothing to be particularly proud of.
Another reason to not vote Brown, we will never get the Rail Loop started, we need progress which means CCO’s, as long as they are breifed under banks things will actually get done!
Funny that Brown has finally mentioned the Rail loop, although I think it would have always been in his mind. Considering Banksy had mentioned all these transport projects ages ago.
First you state that CCO’s are needed for progress, which is not true. What held up Auckland was fragmentation, not lack of corporatisation. A “privatised” public transport / transport delivery model is showing its flaws all over the world!
And then you imply that Banks will get more progress on public transport because he approves of what Rodney Hide and Steven Joyce, have created for transport delivery?
Did you look at this government’s recent PT track record? The best thing one can say about it is that while cutting PT funding left and right, it was too scared of cutting the big projects like electrification, because then the game would have been up way too obviously.
If Len Brown could conceivably have a harder time pushing through PT than Banks *under a National government* - because they would not like to have him see any wins on that - that makes me more likely to vote for him. I don’t like my election choices being held hostage, not even by implication.
“If Len Brown could conceivably have a harder time pushing through PT than Banks *under a National government* – because they would not like to have him see any wins on that – that makes me more likely to vote for him. I don’t like my election choices being held hostage, not even by implication.” - Thanks for that info…don’t know who u were replying to there
“Did you look at this government’s recent PT track record? The best thing one can say about it is that while cutting PT funding left and right, it was too scared of cutting the big projects like electrification, because then the game would have been up way too obviously.” - Yet while doing little manage so much more than other government…Wait here comes the they havn’t added anything…you really think the previous government would have done half of what they said, I guess it would have gone beyond there trend.
“And then you imply that Banks will get more progress on public transport because he approves of what Rodney Hide and Steven Joyce, have created for transport delivery?” - Where did I say that?…I think you missed my point, the CCO’s wont have jobs if they don’t achieve the goals banksy or whomevea sets, so they will be achieved, Kinda seems to much like a real job doesn’t it?
“First you state that CCO’s are needed for progress, which is not true.” - Ok it might have come across that way, but what I was implying is (and since you seem to like history) the past record with government organisations, local or national, nothing gets done anywhere near as quickly, and when they do generally not to a high standard and to a high loss…CCO’s will have added insentives which will make things get done, like having a job.