PRESENTATION IN SUPPORT OF SUBMISSION DATED 4 OCTOBER 2011

BY M H FAULLS BE(CIVIL) TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

ON THE SUBJECT OF

SH1 : WELLINGTON TO LEVIN

TRANSMISSION GULLY PROPOSAL

GOOD MORNING TO THE BOARD AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE

TIME TO SPEAK TO MY SUBMISSION.

WHEN I COMMENCED PUBLIC SERVICE ENGINEERING IN THE 1950’S IT

WAS POINTED OUT TO ME THAT A ROUTE FOR SH1 COULD BE FOUND

FROM TAKAPU ROAD IN THE SOUTH TO MACKAYS CROSSING IN THE

NORTH.

SIXTY YEARS LATER THIS DEVIATION OF SH1 HAS STILL NOT BEEN

CONSTRUCTED, MAINLY BECAUSE THE ECONOMICS OF THE PROPOSAL

ARE ADVERSE.

HOWEVER, NOW THAT SH1, WELLINGTON TO LEVIN, HAS BEEN

DESIGNATED A ROAD OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE (RNS), THE

TRANSMISSION GULLY PROPOSAL SHOULD BE LOOKED AT IN THIS

CONTEXT.

WELLINGTON TO LEVIN HAS A NORTH-SOUTH AXIS AND ALL

IMPROVEMENTS ON THIS ROUTE SHOULD DEMONSTRATE IMPROVEMENTS

IN NORTH-SOUTH AND IN SOUTH-NORTH TRAVEL TIMES. TRANSMISSION

GULLY IS NOT A PROJECT IN ISOLATION BUT IS MERELY A SECTION OF

A ROAD OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE.

IT IS NOT IN DISPUTE THAT EARLY PLANNING FOR TRANSMISSION GULLY

ENVISAGED A SOUTHERN TERMINATION AT TAKAPU ROAD. THE REASONS

FOR ALTERING THE SOUTHERN TERMINATION TO LINDEN NEED TO BE

REVISITED.

SH1 IS NOW AN EFFCTIVE FOUR-LANE HIGHWAY FROM WELLINGTON TO

PUKERUA BAY. SINCE THE LINDEN CONCEPT WAS MOOTED, THESE

IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED TO THE NORTH:

MUNGAVIN INTERCHANGE

FOUR-LANING TO PAREMATA

CLEARWAYS AT MANA ESPLANADE (AT LAST)

FOUR-LANING TO PLIMMERTON

FOUR-LANING TO PUKERUA BAY

THE WELLINGTON REGIONAL COUNCIL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR

DEVELOPING LONG-TERM PLANS FOR THE REGION’S TRANSPORT

NETWORK. THIS IS THEIR STATED POLICY. IT WOULD THEREFORE SEEM

LOGICAL FOR THE REGIONAL COUNCIL TO BE A PARTNER IN THESE

PROCEEDINGS WTH THE TRANSPORT AGENCY, RATHER THAN A SINGLE

CITY COUNCIL.

THE EXTENT OF THE CITY COUNCIL INVOLVEMENT APPEARS TO HAVE

TRANSFORMED TRANSMISSION GULLY INTO AN EAST-WEST ROUTE OVER

THE SECTOR KENEPURU TO WAITANGIRUA. THIS IS THE

“ TAIL WAGGING THE DOG “.

(REFER TO PLAN)

I CONTEND THAT A SUPER COUNCIL FOR WELLINGTON WOULD HAVE

COME UPWITH A DIFFERENT APPROACH. THE CREATION OF A SUPER

COUNCIL CANNOT BE FAR AWAY, IN MY VIEW.

IN SUMMARY, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE SOUTHERN TERMINATION AT

LINDEN TOGETHER WITH THE LINKS TO KENEPURU DRIVE AND TO

WAITANGIRUA HAVE BEEN DRIVEN BY LOCAL BODY POLITICS. ONE

COUNCIL FOR THE WHOLE OF THE WELLINGTON REGION MAY WELL

ARRIVE AT DIFFERENT CONCLUSIONS.

SHOULD GOVERNMENT WISH TO PROCEED WITH TRANSMISSION GULLY,

THEN THE MAIN ALIGNMENT MUST BE THE BEST POSSIBLE.

TO DO OTHERWISE, WOULD BE TO “ SET IN CONCRETE “ A DOUBTFUL

PLANNING DECISION MADE DECADES AGO.

THANK YOU FOR TIME THIS MORNING.