Auckland Transport Plan Approved

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31098, 29 June 1966, Page 7

Auckland Transport Plan Approved

"The Press’’ Special Service AUCKLAND, June 28. The National Roads Board has approved in principle the de Leuw, Cather master transport plan for Auckland. The chairman of the Auckland Regional Authority (Mr H. D. Lambie) and the general manager (Mr J. Steele) welcomed the decision as giving the green light to detailed planning and negotiations on the project. Mr Steel said he was disappointed that the board had not acceded fully to a request from the authority that the board accept complete responsibility for all motorway and expressway routes proposed in the first 10 years of the plan.

The board decided that motorways and expressways which are not State highways would instead be accepted as subsidised works. The board will continue its present policy of meeting the cost of property acquisition required to protect motorways which will not be declared

■ State highways, but which will Ibe regional motorways or expressways, by advance of future subsidy—subject to finance being available. All approvals given will be subject to local authorities accepting and carrying out their responsibilities in connexion with the associated improvement of streets and the provision of parking to keep pace with motorway construction.

The board decided that the Ministry of Works and the regional authority should pursue negotiations with local authorities affected by motorway and expressway routes to determine the final alignments and right-of-way. At the board meeting Mr A. M. Linton said it should be made clear that Auckland “cannot rob the rest of New Zealand just to get all this done on time.” Mr E. C. Thorne wanted to know if the board had an assurance that local bodies would find their share of the finance for the proposals. “Do they realise that the board is not just a handout organisation?” he asked. The assistant-director of roading, Mr D. J. B. Halley, said one trouble was that no one had yet produced an accurate assessment of future regional roads.