Smith Lockwood: Local Government (Auckland) Amendment Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Smith Lockwood: Local Government (Auckland) Amendment Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:618;Page:14037] 
Dr the Hon LOCKWOOD SMITH (National—Rodney) 
: 
 In speaking to the final provisions of the Local Government (Auckland) Amendment Bill I want to focus particularly on schedule 5 in which the Land Transport Management Act is amended. It seems to me that schedule 5 will put a whole other layer of bureaucracy in place with regard to the funding of local roads. I draw the attention of the Minister in the chair to subsections (4) and (5) of the new section 39 “Special provisions relating to Auckland Region”. 
At the moment if territorial local authorities want to do something about roading in their area they can apply to the national land transport account for subsidies. As long as they stump up with their money they can usually get those subsidies from Transfund and can get on and do roading projects. Subsection (4) tells us: “Despite an Auckland territorial authority being an approved organisation for the purposes of this Act it may not after 1 July 2005— … (b) receive any funds directly from the national land transport account;”. As I read it local authorities will now have to go through this new bureaucracy to get any funding to do anything in their area. They will have to get the Auckland Regional Transport Authority to do it for them. That authority will have to get the funds from the national land transport account it would seem. The authority gets the money then passes it on to the local authority. As I read it we have extra bureaucracy. We have a new step in the process. People will have to go through the Auckland Regional Transport Authority if they want to get a road done. I would like the Minister to confirm whether that is correct—whether a new step in this whole bureaucratic process is brought in by Part 3. 
I would also like the Minister to tell Auckland people which roads this part will see built. I want to know specifically whether the Penlink toll road will be covered by this legislation. Will Rodney District Council have to go through the Auckland Regional Transport Authority to get funding for the Penlink toll road or will that road be a Transit road? State Highway 20 is the extension of the Mangere motorway. Is it covered by this legislation or not? What is the next big project in Auckland? It is the Albany to Puhoi realignment B2 (ALPURT B2). Is it covered by this legislation? I want to know from the Minister whether that big project is covered. Is “Spaghetti Junction” the big work on State Highway 1 in the middle of Auckland covered by this legislation? Is the planning of State Highway 1 up to the Warkworth bypass and the Wellsford bypass covered by this legislation? I have named about five of the major roading projects in Auckland. Are any of them covered by this legislation? 
I think the Minister owes the people of Auckland an explanation. Does this legislation cover any significant roading or does the fact as my colleague Maurice Williamson pointed out that roading is not mentioned in any of the publicity or in any of the Minister’s statements relating to this legislation mean that this legislation does nothing for roading or any of those major roading projects? I invite the Minister to tell the Committee which roading projects this legislation covers. I do not think it covers State Highway 1. Is “Spaghetti Junction” part of State Highway 1? Does it cover anything to do with State Highway 20? Does it cover anything to do with State Highway 1’s extension ALPURT B2? Does it cover the Penlink toll road? I think the people of Auckland deserve to know whether this legislation covers any major roading projects at all. It seems to me that Part 3 and especially schedule 5 simply add more bureaucracy and make no progress on roads.