Auckland's infastructure needs upgrading in the long run.
Auckland's infastructure needs upgrading in the long run.
There may, in the near future, be a four-lane road of national significance (RONS) between Auckland and Whangarei, which would make travel between the country’s largest city and Northland much faster and more efficient, while providing significant economic benefits to both regions as well.
This is the argument put forward by National Road Carriers, who view the recent decision to upgrade the state highway between Puhoi and Wellsford as a welcome development, but ineffective in the long-term.
“Most freight and other traffic along the route doesn’t have Wellsford as its destination. The Puhoi to Wellsford RONS only makes economic sense if it is quickly continued for the full route to Whangarei.”
The economic benefits would not only make trade easier. The vast majority of visitors to Northland are from Auckland, and the extension of the RONS would reduce the driving time between the two centers (Auckland and Whangarei) as congestion areas, such as Warkworth would be bypassed, the more direct route would save on full as well.
Because of this, Daron Turner, a member of the National Road Carriers has said that the extension of the RONS, to provide a direct link between Auckland and Whangarei, is essential to the economic and social wellbeing of the entire region.
He has called for a joint advocacy campaign to be put together by both cities in order to press government to commit to the strategy of a four-lane highway between the two major urban areas.
It is an expensive undertaking, the road would have to ensure the safety of all those using it, therefore laybys for truck drivers are necessary, rest spots for car drivers, picnic areas, emergency contact facilities, and walking and cycling trails.
The upgrade of the Auckland-Wellsford road is part of a number of upgrades being made to infrastructure in and around Auckland. Daron Turner’s argument, is similar to those made by many Aucklanders who regularly use the Queen’s Wharf when they go on cruise vacations.
Auckland is a popular destination for several cruise companies, in fact a quarter of the international arrivals in Auckland are made up of passengers disembarking for the day and spending up to $1,000,000 in the city.
Although the current situation at the out-dated cruise terminal may work for Aucklanders, problems arise when large, prestigious ships call into the port and find that they cannot be adequently accommodated.
The recent visit by the massive Queen Mary 2 saw the ship docked at a container terminal as the cruise terminal could was not able to facilitate her needs. A less than glamourous greeting for a ship seen as the royalty of the seas.
The problems of underdeveloped infrastructure run deeper than mere sentiment, however, for passengers first impressions of a city are extremely important.
“The arrival and looking out at containers and cranes does nothing for you,” one passenger aboard the Queen Mary 2 told Auckland news provider, 3 News.
Mayor John Banks has recognized the problem.
“In 24 years time most of the cruise ships visiting Auckland will be this size so we have to have berthing facilities,” he said.
The debate over what to do about Queen’s Warf, whether to make it into a world-class cruise terminal or a hub of bars and nightclubs, is holding the development of the port up, some fear it may be 25 years before anything is done at all.
With cruise ship arrivals expected to exceed 132,000 in 2011, and with overland freight operations growing and becoming increasingly efficient, it is certain that something must be done about the highway between Auckland and Northland, and the cruise terminal at the port.
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Auckland Feature Story
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Auckland's infastructure needs upgrading in the long run.
Auckland may in the next few years be able to upgrade two major pieces of infastructure and reap the economic benefits for the city.
There may, in the near future, be a four-lane road of national significance (RONS) between Auckland and Whangarei, which would make travel between the country’s largest city and Northland much faster and more efficient, while providing significant economic benefits to both regions as well. Read more
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