Speeding toward a lethal legacy
A few weeks ago I wrote on how the Minister of Transport Simeon Brown had misrepresented cities overseas in his crusade to make our streets and roads more dangerous. Since then, his speed rule has been finalised and signed. Also, the summary of public feedback has been released after many months of delays.…
74 Comments Time for a Transfer of Power in Entrust
What if I told you that if you pay for electricity in Auckland’s Isthmus, South Auckland, East Auckland, or Waiheke Island, you have a say in how a $3.76b company is run?
What if I told you that one group has been in control of this resource on your behalf for the past 30 years, and is running it in an almost comically bad fashion?…
Who benefits from secrecy around public infrastructure?
You might have seen this video, which we received as part of a recent OIA request. It showcases the original light rail plans developed by Auckland Transport between 2014-2017.
The video was apparently produced in early 2018 by Auckland Transport, just a few months before the project was handed off to Waka Kotahi/NZTA.…
Is this our least worldly Minister of Transport?
Over the weekend, the Minister of Transport Simeon Brown proudly announced his new speed-setting rule, a decision that will undoubtedly lead to greater harm on our roads. It’s a tragically predictable decision by a Minister who seems to be on only nodding acquaintance with both evidence and international norms.…
Cross-party consensus: there’s no pipeline without good faith
There’s been a lot of talk recently about a cross-party agreement to develop a pipeline for infrastructure, including transport. Last month, outgoing CRL boss Sean Sweeney talked about the importance of securing an enduring infrastructure programme. He outlined the high costs of the relentless political flip-flopping of priorities, which drives away skilled workers, drives up the cost of delivery, and hamstrings our future .…
The Policy and Memory Vortex
When you start doing research into transport and urban topics and policies, one thing you realise is how messy and chaotic many government websites are. Given that these are (in theory) the most accessible version of the official archive, that’s a challenge.…
The Government Declares Total War on Localism
In a recent conversation, the person I was talking to outlined the purpose of central and local government in the most simple and clear way I have yet heard:
Central government is for nation-building. Local government is for city-building.
This was in the context of Auckland, so I would expand the local government definition to community-building, to cover those councils and authorities that are a little less urban.…
A dream of roads for rail and streets for people
I love my life. I can leave my apartment and it’s an easy walk away from Karangahape Road, Commercial Bay, or Ponsonby. I can walk to the Auckland Domain or Albert Park, or Myers Park. I can go and catch a bus or train to so many places outside of the City Centre.…
Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums with feeling.…
A blanket of misinformation
Two old sayings have been on my mind lately. The first is: “The pen is mightier than the sword”, describing the power of language and communication to help or to harm.
The other, which captures the speed with which falsehoods can become ingrained and hard to undo, is: “A lie can run halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.”…
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