Mr Gavin Gregg
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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. .