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Thread ID: 61841	2005-09-18 07:57:00	Your Election Policies	Winston001 (3612)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
389175	2005-09-18 10:46:00	I agree with what you suggest Winston - including the tax on taxes. Local authority rates are an indirect form of taxation on property owners, whether we use the services or not. Put tolls on roads - user pays. Stop taxing all NZers to pay for Auckland's roads. Develop a decent electric rail network in Auckland. Then, impose taxes on Auckland motorists, not before. (Note: I don't live in Auckland). Encourage the use of rail for freight transport. I take on board most of your points somebody but Auckland roading policies shouldn't be offered so blithely by non-Aucklanders. Spend some time in Auckland experiencing the issues first-hand and you may have a differing opinion. After >20 years of driving on Auckland roads, and being deft at avoiding peak-time queues, take this from someone who has to use Auckland roads every day to make a living. I think you'll find the toll on road users a double-edged sword for people in rural centres who a) don't have the population base to support the actual level of funding required, and b) who don't have a realistic alternative to private transportation. The petrol tax take from 1m+ Aucklanders is not insignificant and if the Government had actually used these taxes to fund roading / transportation projects (as has been suggested by the AA for many many years) instead of going into the 'general fund', then we wouldn't be in half the mess we (i.e. all NZ) find ourselves today. Electric rail is a good idea but when you have a main trunk line from Auckland central to Pukekohe with lines out through Waitakere and through the inner Eastern suburbs, I'd guess 80-90% of the Auckland population don't live with a walk or bike ride to the train station. There is no service for the North Shore nor the far Eastern suburbs (no pun intended). Couple that with an infrequent service, a lack of secure bike facilities and an uncoordinated system of rail and bus timetables, and it just isn't an option for the majority of Auckland. Also consider that we have lines in place that are disused and after public pressure & consultation, they are not considered economically feasible to open (e.g. the Onehunga line). Our public transportation is shambolic - we need to take a leaf out of the Sydney-siders public transport system where they have more than the population of NZ in the one city. Consider too that Auckland is built on 50+ volcanoes = volcanic rock = underground rail option is not viable. Consider the Auckland isthmus - we are sandwiched between 2 harbours, where one is able to comfortably walk the thinnest point as part of a round-Auckland walk. 'Auckland' in it's loosest definition of Auckland + Waitakere + Manukau + Eastern Suburbs is a massive geographic area - stretching in excess of 50km in the North-South direction. With all due respect I suspect a number of non-Aucklanders do not appreciate the enormity of the area nor the enormity of the problem we are talking about. Such a geographical arrangement (between 2 harbours) does not lend itself to a traditional 'spider web' arrangement of public transport. What this means is that almost all public transport services go from point A to the city or vice versa. To get from point A to point B (on the same side of the isthmus) one must first go into the city and then catch a 2nd service to point B - this hasn't yet addressed the issue that one service may stop in midtown while the other terminus is in downtown, nor does it take into account uncoordinated timetables. If one is going to impose levies on those who use vehicles on Auckland roads, what about those who use their vehicles for a living? Consider the average sales rep, courier driver, taxi, tradesperson, ambulance etc etc - this is hardly fair and would be yet another tax on doing business. I agree more containers should travel via rail but once again there is the convenience factor. Compare door-to-ship or ship-to-door deliveries for your goods versus door-to-truck then truck-to-rail then rail-to-port, it is a question of economics, unions, convenience etc etc. It's just not that simple. But then again, building more roads only makes it worse. If there was a 2nd harbour crossing, then the population on the North shore would eventually expand to more than consume this extra capacity. However they should at least finish what they have started. There has been part of a link in place between the North-Western and Northern motorways since at least 1983, that is still not yet linked up! Whilst work is now underway to link these 2 motorways, why wasn't this finished 20+ years ago? (As an aisde, spaghetti junction is about to resemble a 'dogs breakfast' - no offence to dogs - there are some serious road works underway and for those of you who seldomly use the Auckland motorway system you had better pay attention before you find yourself in the wrong part of town!). But talking of finishing things off, getting traffic moving is no different to cans of soup or cans of Coke moving on a production line - you can't speed up the flow by forcing more into the queue, you can only speed it up by either a) relieving bottle-necks or b) getting more out of the system. So why aren't there more motorway off-ramps? Why can't I get off the motorway closer to my destination? Why are there almost always traffic lights just after a motor-way off-ramp? Whoever thought of that doozie? :rolleyes: Why isn't there a free-left-turn option on red lights? Why do we have right turning arrows reducing the traffic flow through a 4-way intersection from 4 unimpeded flows to 3? (with no corresponding left turn arrow?) Why aren't there more roundabouts that actually keep traffic moving rather than lights that stop all of the traffic at a single point and release it in one large batch, thereby limiting the speed of the last vehicles to the speed of the slowest car in the queue? Come on road people - I know I said this isn't that simple, but getting traffic moving isn't exactly rocket science! Go to a factory sometime (you roading people) and you should get some clues about how to get our traffic moving. What is the answer? Come to Auckland on the cusp of school / University holidays and experience the before and after traffic. The roads cope fine until a) school / Uni gets out, b) school / Uni starts, c) it rains or d) a truck rolls in Matamata (I jest, but this did happen resulting in grid-lock in Auckland). But the point being, it is this last 10% of the traffic that pushes Auckland roading over the limit. It's like a ghost town when the schools are on holiday, the traffic is a breeze! So what does this tell you? It is the students taking cars to Uni / school (why take a car to school if you lived in zone?) and also Mums picking up / dropping off junior. If people lived in zone and made use of the walking school buses or weren't so bloody paranoid about stranger danger, then we wouldn't have that half of that last 10% of cars on the roads. But don't get me wrong - I'm not laying the blame on the students and Mums - there are many things to consider. So please, give some informed thought before posting your Auckland roading policies! Andrew :cool:	andrew93 (249)
389176	2005-09-18 11:18:00	please, give some informed thought before posting your Auckland roading policies! Everyone domiciled outside of Auckland, when using Auckland roads, should be charged double toll rates - all Aucklanders deserve to get a benefit from those part-time users of our roads.	Greg (193)
389177	2005-09-18 11:35:00	Fair enough - just out of curiosity, how long did it take to write your post Andrew? While I can't claim to be a roading expert, what I can say is that there are some simple common sense issues which need to be addressed. 1) The govt. currently says it taxes petrol to fund roads, etc., but also to "discourage the use of cars". Yet, there is no real alternative for areas outside the main centres. I live in Hastings, and a public transport system is virtually nonexistent - I have no choice but to drive when I get the groceries, go to work on a rainy day etc. This is why I say that such taxes should only be imposed in areas where there are alternatives to private cars. 2) When I went up to Auckland for a "holiday" a few months back, I intentionally picked a motel outside the main city. I found a nice motel in Ellerslie, and decided that instead of battling the parking issues in the city, I left my car at the motel, and walked to the train station (15 mins away). There was very little signage telling me how to buy tickets, and what the story was. I ended up having to ask other passengers, who kindly told me that I just had to wait till I got onto the train. The train was slow, travelling on very bumpy tracks. Diesel engines were pulling the carriages. As we pulled up to stations, I had to carefully look to find the signs saying what station we were up to - there were no interactive displays within the train to say so. Overall - yes, the service is ok. It should be promoted more, because I'm sure there are many other people driving on the roads who could easily take the train. Even at peak hour, there was still sitting room on the trains. * Decent stations with larger shelters so that passengers don't get wet waiting for trains to arrive * Better maintained tracks. * Electrifying the system - cheaper to run, more enviro friendly, faster - light rail trains I have been in could accelerate very rapidly, travelling up to 70km/hr on straighter sections of track, easily getting between stations in a minute or two. * Signage needs to be improved * Interactive displays - they don't cost that much, but they make life so much easier for passengers. Subways I went in overseas even had a recorded voice announcing the station we were approaching.	somebody (208)
389178	2005-09-18 11:56:00	Restructure RMA Abolish Maori seats Conviction made harder. Alcohol banning at all times so pple not forget when on/off (CBD) Litter fine and spit fine Drop company tax Universal tax system More cops on real work and if need be install more cams if they wanna get cash Less empahsis on road maintenance but more on projects Intro medic care. Privatise ACC or optable out if once has private insurance in this area. Intro superannuation additional to tax but avoidable if one has private firm DNA checks at birth and at immigration and linked to big applications Abolish priviledges for aussies since we dont' get them there either Impound cars for racers on street, reoffenders are further banned longer, if again state can sell the vehicle if they don't do it within a spec'd time. Compulsory comprehensive insurance for all pple under 25yrs. Immigration provided more transparency and made avail online for prosepctive pple. Pple not remain in country 8 months per yr PR is revoked. Take 3yrs for educ and health subsidies (after geting PR). Take 5yrs (after getting PR) to get assistance with benefits systems. Let the market dictate so let pple achieve as they desire once they get PR here. With these amendments make immigration a bit easier to come, as aid is limited to the 3/5yr times... Those who are on a less than 3yr PR, bad crime, then get deported. Anything lesser than the 3/5yr plan should be for those needy ie.. refugees. Issued ID cards and an offence not to carry one. Intro toll road ways.	Nomad (952)
389179	2005-09-18 21:45:00	Fair enough - just out of curiosity, how long did it take to write your post Andrew? hehe - yeah it took a while with all of the distractions and ending up off the point but it is a well-rehearsed rant that only needed to be repeated. You're correct in that rail is the answer but until there are more tracks and as you stated, better services and facilities, other alternatives have to be explored. Unfortunately the benefits of the hard decisions that have to be amde won't appear until after the elected officials' terms are up - so why would a politician damage their political career by making the tough decisions that are required? Part of the reason the train is soooo slow is because the train has to slow down to 20km/h or thereabouts when going over a crossing. I'm also curious as to what they can do for the North Shore - traditional rail services are not a feasible option given the high density housing & lack of physical space (i.e. the cost of buying out so many properties). However, why not build a monorail above the motorway that runs from Orewa to downtown with a terminus every other mile from Albany? And repeat for the far Eastern suburbs? When they finally link the Southern Motorway to the North-Western via the Airport motorway, then it should divert some traffic away from spaghetti junction and offer an alternative route for people simply tying to pass through Auckland. A	andrew93 (249)
389180	2005-09-18 21:49:00	They should sort out the public transport all over the country, then add an insane tax on petrol to force people to use public transport & make that tax refundable for businesses that rely on petrol to operate.	Greven (91)
389181	2005-09-18 22:37:00	Simple really: Kick Auntie Helen out of Parliament. Re-work everything so that policies of her own are mostly reversed, if not all. :D	techie (7177)
389182	2005-09-18 22:42:00	Dunno If Sydney is worth holding up as a traffic success, I would easily spend 4 hours in traffic on a normal day just getting home, and if there was a major delay on a main feed then I would be lucky to get home by 9pm, Many times I would get within 5km of home and just park up and walk the rest of the way, and then when the traffic thinned walk back and pick up the car . Mrs Metla used the Train system, this meant I drove her to the station, she then jumped on a train that took her to a main line, where she would wait for up to an hour, then board another for the city, a good half an hour, then she would walk to her place of work, a good 2 hours of travelling just to get there . After work was worse, many times she would be waiting for hours at the station for her train home, and I would have to re-route my trip home in order to try and pick her up before dark . Train platforms Sydney wide are dangerous places to be, especially in the dark . The issue over there is the same as in Auckland, everyone is heading for the same place, and once you arrive you then have to stop, More roads just mean more traffic, all travelling into the same area . The big wide smooth toll roads leading into Sydney are just as bad as winding your way through the suburbs, they reach saturation point and everything comes to a standstill . The only answer is less cars on the road . And I'm all for an Auckland specific road tax to do it, If it helps I spent a number of years in Auckland . . . . . Anyhow, My Policies End the race based treatment, Maori have been babied for too long as it is . Ban gangs, And I don't mean weak crap like non-asociation orders, Round them up, break their legs and drop them in the ocean . Why this country tolerates this filth is beyond me . Make the ploice fight crime, not fight motorists . Stop the Jap imports . No perks for ex-pollies, You were voted out sucker, Fired, go away and leave our tax money alone .	Metla (12)
389183	2005-09-18 22:55:00	A n interesting thought Greven that I don't disagree with but unfortunately it is the non-business user that ends up paying the taxes and indirectly subsidising businesses. However, I agree public transport needs to be sorted out nationwide. Part of the issue is our adoption of US-style urban development where there is uncontrolled urban sprawl and reliance on the privately owned car. Little thought is given to the issue of congestion and transport by the developers and/or the local body councils when developing / approving new subdivisions. Have you seen those new subdivisions on the western side of Hamilton? (The name of the town eludes me for the moment but it is pretty much rural). Same with the new developments south of Tauranga (Pye's Pa?). Here you have high density developments with no walking access to any sort of services and no chance in this century of any public transport. So the issue is not just confined to A uckland, and if your city is not yet affected (although it sounds like Hastings is) then it won't be too far away as more A ucklanders move away to smaller towns & cities or seek out lifestyle properties. Like it or lump it but this is a trend coming to a place near you! IMHO a better style of development is the English-style village approach where you have clusters of houses around the essential services interspersed with farmland (large cities excepted). They have their public transport pretty much sorted out and there are a number of 'feeder' cities for the big city work forces. So why did the Thames- A uckland ferry service stop? If the service was assured then Thames is a viable option for a number of people who can't afford A uckland housing. Just one example of a good idea that failed for lack of support and / or funding. Without trying succumbing to defeatism, I doubt we will see realsitic solutions in our lifetimes while we having competing / greedy local bodies as well as affordable petrol (our petrol is still cheap when you factor in the environmental cost) and greedy banks & developers. But hey, the more we talk about this, hopefully someone somewhere takes notice and is motivated to do something about it. A	andrew93 (249)
389184	2005-09-18 23:00:00	Make the police fight crime, not fight motorists. Ha! And here we all thought that the traffic division would become a lame duck department when it was integrated with the police. Unfortunately the reverse has happened as traffic Nazi's have taken over the top police positions.... a fair point. BTW why did all of the old TO's have moustaches? :thumbs:	andrew93 (249)
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