Twyford’s 'extensive consultation' over East-West Link disputed by business
The Minister of Transport was challenged in Parliament over how much consultation there was over canning the project.
The Auckland Chamber of Commerce's chief executive rejects government claims that business received extensive consultation before Labour decided to scrap the East-West Link motorway project in Auckland.
Transport Minister Phil Twyford made the comments yesterday in the House, after being quizzed by National’s transport spokeswoman Judith Collins over how much consultation Labour had had with Auckland businesses on the move.
Ms Collins asked how the minister responded to claims by the chamber’s chief executive, Michael Barnett, that “Ms Ardern’s government did not consult with the Auckland business community before announcing a scaling back of the project.”
Mr Twyford insisted the government did consult “extensively”, including with Mr Barnett himself, before deciding to can the project.
But Mr Barnett disagrees with that description.
He says Mr Twyford did meet a group of Auckland businesses during the election campaign, including the Employers and Manufacturers Association and the chamber but only came to them at the point when he had already made his decision.
“If you came to me and asked ‘did he meet with us, canvas opinions and go through the processes with us’ I would say no, that didn’t happen.”
“He had made [his] mind up at the point in which he spoke to us. I would say the consultation with us was honest – he didn’t hide behind the fact that it wasn’t Labour's intention to be proceeding with it.”
Meanwhile, questions remain over how the government plans to reduce congestion in the Onehunga area where the previous government was planning to build the highway.
“We haven’t been told what those plans are. That’s what we want to know. We are happy to listen to any new plans and suggestions and work with the government on them,” National Road Carriers Association chief executive David Aitken says.
The government agrees something needs to be done to help ease congestion in the area but Mr Twyford says the “gold-plated option that would have been the most expensive road project in human history would not have been a good use of taxpayer funds.”
“The Auckland business community, along with the likes of Ken Shirley of the Road Transport Forum, actually agree that we need to find a more cost-effective option than the $327 million per kilometre option that [the former government] chose without even a cost-benefit ratio.”
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Jason Walls
Wed, 15 Nov 2017
Wed, 15 Nov 2017
© All content copyright NBR. Do not reproduce in any form without permission, even if you have a paid subscription.
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Twyford’s 'extensive consultation' over East-West Link disputed by business
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