As you travel along Great North Road you’ll see tacked up on people’s fences the “Tunnel or Nothing” signs. After years of consultation and planning about the Avondale extension of SH20 the decision was made that the best route for this motorway would be a tunnel with two lanes in either direction from Maioro Street, Mt Roskill to the Waterview interchange of the SH16 (the North-West motorway).

Transit’s FAQ explains “A tunnel would significantly reduce the need to buy homes and dig up parks and reserves. Unlike many other projects associated with the Western Ring Route, land has not been set aside for this piece of motorway. About 500 properties would be affected by a surface option for Waterview compared with fewer than 50 for the adjoining Mt Roskill project.”

The tunnel didn’t have great local support, but with provisions about the air outlets the Community Board and City Council supported it.

Then, somewhere along the way it was suggested the tunnel needed three lanes in either direction to future-proof it. I don’t think this was decided upon when, after the change to a National Party-led government, Michael Barnett submitted a report to Steven Joyce the new Minister of Transport arguing again for a surface option. From the press release Mr Barnett published about the report it seems he argued that a surface would be much cheaper and quicker than a 3 lane tunnel, after all it had been good enough for Mt Roskill. Mr Joyce promptly ordered the TransitNZ to investigate alternatives to the tunnel. A report was meant to have been completed by April. When asked about it in Parliament he said “I have received some information from officials, and I am seeking further information”. Possibly Mr Joyce is sitting on it until after the local by-election.

Mr Barnett is the CEO of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, but his report was on behalf of something called the Auckland Business Forum which he is the Chairman of. It is hard to find out much more about this group beyond they like roads and would like more of them. From an Advertising Standards Board complaint I learned the Forum’s members are the Automobile Association, Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce, Employers & Manufacturers Association (Northern), National Road Carriers Assn, Ports of Auckland, and Road Transport Forum. I wonder if local AA members know their association is campaigning against the tunnel or why the City Council owned Ports of Auckland is campaigning against Council policy?

Not only will building the motorway along the surface require demolishing 500+ homes it will also have to bridge, drain or cover Oakley Creek, a park with native trees, birds, the stream and a waterfall – right in the city. On the ugly side it was where the girl was dragged to and raped last month, but mostly it is used by many joggers and walkers and highly valued locally.

The Chairperson of Avondale Community Board has written about how the community opposes any motorway option other than the tunnel, but mostly there has been a lot of silence. Soon though it will hopefully become an issue in the local by-election. The Mt Albert electorate includes Waterview and (my) part of Avondale, and an election is always good for reminding politicians that governing isn’t just about pleasing their friends from big business. Not that the outcome of the by-election can make any change to National’s majority in parliament, but it can send a signal about how we feel being ignored in this important local issue. I’m looking forward to it.

Useful links:
• Transit NZ
• Auckland City Council
• SH20Extension.com