Subscribe to RSSHoliday Highway Tag Attacked
Auckland City Council transport committee chairman Ken Baguley today asked critics not to label the proposed Puhoi to Wellsford road “holiday highway.”
He was attending the Greens- initiated launch of its campaign and petition to government to fast track the CBD rail loop.
Several speakers at the launch, including councillor Graeme Easte, representing the CBT lobby group, had mentioned “the holiday highway”as it was originally dubbed by ARC chair Mike Lee.
But halfway during his speech, Mr Baguley ticked them off for using such a label saying he objected to it.
He said it was a project that needs to be on the list of projects “we look at in the next 10 to 15 years:”
But he agreed such projects, including this one, would need a cost estimate analysis justification.
9 Comments
It’s clear where Ken and John’s priorities lie when they get annoyed at the Holiday Highway label. Reminds me of Banks in his first term when he would attend an opening for a new train station and instead of mentioning rail would spend 15 minutes discussing how we needed the Eastern Highway to ‘unlock’ Auckland’s potential.
When Banks attended the opening of the Beachcroft pedestrian bridge in Onehunga a month or two ago, he waxed lyrical about the motorway under his feet. No change.
I agree the holiday highway tag should be dropped, because Joyce has already said the main reason for the project is to open up Northland’s freight potential. The project is in direct contrast with the same government’s intention to close the railway to Northland. This is actually what the whole real issue is - close the railway to prevent the Marsden Point Branch from being built, and spending up large on promoting use of trucks throughout Northland instead.
This is where the CBT and other groups opposed to the highway should be focussing, because this primary issue seems to be slipping under their radar so far. I would suggest dubbing it the “trucking highway” and targeting all the criticism at the real issue, which is that the government wants modal transfer to take place in Northland. It’s all about getting the freight out of trains and into trucks.
Joyce only starting talking about the freight potential of the highway at a later date, when he realised the holiday highway tag had made the project look vulnerable.
I doubt trucks have too much problem with the current route, sure its a bit steep and windy but there arent too many trucks around when the gridlock really hits.
Interestingly for all the talk of the previous govt giving money to Toll, the project will benefit Toll more than anyone else because they own United, the dominant trucking firm in Northland.
Northland’s potential???? Hows that Tui’s add go again? Yeah right
. I suggest everyone go to the LTA website and read the latest RONS report to see just how much potential will be realised!
“dubbing it the “trucking highway””
That would just push their buttons in a positive way, and make the average punter thinks there’s something to it.
Motorways are not a truck thing - they are a car capacity measure first and foremost.
Geoff..
1) Will we see you bring this up at the monthly CBT meetings?
2) Timing is important for any campaign.
Now let me think. What’s coming up next year? Hmmmm.
I agree with Cr. Baugley attacking this narrow, idiotic label “holiday highway” best used for a title of a book about going on holiday on a quiet narrow off-road. I would suggest that on the SH1 Puhoi to Wellsford section it be named the “Northland Gateway” and Puhoi downwards the “Northern Motorway”. “Toll Road” should become “Toll” and “Free Route” - “Toll Free” but not considered the names of the highway.
Holiday highway. The tag is very apt, because that is the only time the *non-safety* related changes will ever be needed.