My Account
A total of $4.18 million was collected through the Rodney Local Board targeted rate in its first financial year which ended on June 30, and $761,595 (18%) was spent.
The Board was told at its meeting last month that the finances were on track and the surplus would start building a reserve that would fund capital items in later years.
The rate had so far covered the launch of three bus services – Wellsford/Warkworth; Helensville/Silverdale and Westgate/Albany (see table for usage figures).
Future projects would include two park and rides – one in Warkworth and the other at Huapai or Kumeu – and footpaths.
The contract for the design and construction of the two park and rides had been awarded and detailed design had started. The two facilities would cost an estimated $3m to $6 million.
The Board expected resource consents to be lodged by the end of next month and the tender for the physical works to be advertised in November.
While the targeted rate, when first mooted, included road sealing, this was dropped when the Auckland Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) included additional funding for sealing.
Board deputy chair Phelan Pirrie says the idea of including road sealing in the targeted rate budget would not be revisited.
“There was an unprecedented $121 million allocated to road sealing, the largest amount of money ever committed to sealing Rodney’s roads,” Mr Pirrie says. “RLTP figures show the amounts being invested ramping up over coming years as construction capacity builds.
“Currently, Auckland Transport is working on the challenging Ahuroa Road sealing project. The win for Rodney was that we are getting a quadrupling in budget for road sealing plus the footpaths, park and rides and bus services the community was asking for.”
Rodney Councillor Greg Sayers said he would still rather see the targeted rate repealed and the public transport services it was currently being used for funded by Auckland Council.
“However, if it remains, I believe half of the funds should be put back into both improving the levels of service for road maintenance and increasing the rate of road sealing,” he says.
Auckland Regional Land Transport Plan spending on road sealing to date:
2018/19
Budgeted, $4.7 million; spent, $5.98 million.
7.8km completed: Monowai Rd (3.4 km), Underwood Rd (0.7 km), Whitmore Rd (1.8 km), School Rd (0.5 km), Tauhoa Rd (0.5 km) and Wharehine Rd (0.9 km)
2019/20
Budgeted, $6.43 million
6.8km programmed: Ahuroa Rd (2.5 km), Ngarewa Dr (0.5 km), Wellsford Valley Rd (1.8 km), Krippner Rd (0.3 km), Smith Rd (0.4 km), Dennis Rd (0.7 km) and Rodney Rd (0.6 km)
Figures provided by Auckland Transport.
