“Auckland Unleashed” is the name of the new discussion paper. It is 220 pages long but you can see a quick video of statistics about Auckland at
Auckland Discussion Paper. Some of these statistics are positive but many are negative. The statistics give some idea of the size of Auckland, the problems and the need for a future plan.
The new mayor, Len Brown, wants an underground railway around the central city and a new bridge over the harbour or a tunnel. However, Auckland does not have the money to pay for these things and will need money from the government. Already, the Minister of Transport has said that if there is a new bridge or tunnel, it will not have railway tracks. He also said it would be 20 years before a bridge or tunnel was built. At the moment, the government is planning to help Christchurch to rebuild and this could cost $15bn or more.
This discussion paper also suggests that economic development will happen in the city centre, the northwest and the south. The airport is in the south so it makes sense for industry to be close to the airport.
This discussion paper suggests ideas; however, the Auckland city council wants people to meet together and discuss these ideas. The council wants to know what people think. People need to send their ideas to the council by the end of May.
Vocabulary
Unleashed means set free; a leash is a rope tied to a dog when the owner takes the dog for a walk. The owner can unleash the dog at a park and set it free to run. Perhaps Auckland people need to unleash their ideas.
Questions
1. If you are an Aucklander, do you have ideas for how to make the city a better place?
2. The area of Auckland city is very large. It has low density housing. This makes public transport expensive. How can the council persuade people to live closer to the city?
3. The video says that 80% people travel to work by car. Should the government provide more roads? What about toll roads?