The Herald reports:
Auckland business leaders are pushing the Government to save more than $1 billion by controversially building the Waterview motorway link across country, rather than through tunnels.
A report sent to Transport Minister Steven Joyce by the Auckland Business Forum is set to unleash furious debate at a time when political parties are preparing to contest a byelection in the local Mt Albert electorate soon to be vacated by former Prime Minister Helen Clark.
The Auckland Business Forum claims a return of $3 for every $1 invested if a non-tunnel option was chosen. That figure sounds too good to be true. Meanwhile Duncan MacDonald of the Avondale Community Board says
“If the Government is of a mind to do it cheaper, then it won’t get done,” he told the Herald. “I’ll have every person living in Waterview and Mt Albert out there stopping it.”
I think National have their work cut out if they believe they can win Mt Albert at the same time as bowling 400 houses and alienating every community group in the process.
