Submission to Auckland Council regarding new designation for the Redoubt Road-Mill Road Corridor Project – Plan Amendment 76/Plan Amendment 49

The Green Party oppose the proposed Redoubt Road – Mill Road Corridor Project.

The project will increase, rather than alleviate, traffic and associated environmental problems. It is well established that increasing capacity for single occupant vehicles at peak tends to increase total regional vehicle kilometres travelled – this aggravates congestion, local air and water pollution, increases greenhouse gas emissions, and exacerbates health problems that come from reduced incidental activity, including obesity and chronic diseases. Ironically, although the project is intended to improve safety and reduce congestion, over time it is likely to have the opposite effect – more vkt is associated with more crashes, and higher capacity roads often experience higher levels of unsafe driving speeds off peak. 

Part of the proposed plan will destroy a native ecosystem at 146 Mill Road, known as Graham’s Bush.

Construction and operation of a viaduct over Graham’s Bush will have detrimental effects on the environment, including:

• Loss of unique native vegetation that includes puriri and taraire that are said to be 400-450 years old according to Dr JRE Harger, who has inspected the site, and is unlike any other in the region;
• Boffa Miskell (section 4.1.2) put the total loss at 1500sqm of vegetation, but Dr Harger’s estimates are closer to 10,000sqm;
• The position of the road will cut one continuous belt of native vegetation into three parts;
• Graham’s Bush has become a valuable corridor for kaka to feed and destruction of sections of this bush will destroy their habitat;
• Auckland Transport have said they plan clearing of native vegetation outside of bird nesting times, ignoring that when birds return to nest, their habitat will have been destroyed;
• Planned vegetation planting will not replace the old-growth ecosystem that has become established and is unique to the region;

We understand a previous OPUS report recommended improvements to the existing road, and we feel this is a far better alternative, provided it has integrated transport solutions (walking and cycling facilities, public transport services). The extraordinary ecological values of Graham’s Bush must be protected as a matter of principle (see Auckland Council’s Biodiversity Strategy, and more to the point, the proposed new road will not solve any transport problem that it is intended to.

We request that Auckland Council uphold the values of the Resource Management Act in protecting our environment and decline consent for the current Auckland Transport proposal for a new road. We request that Graham’s Bush receive the protection it deserves, and that a more multi-modal and sensible long term solution be adopted for the Redoubt Road-Mill Road Corridor, by implementing improved cycling, walking and public transport options for residents in order to reduce the requirement for private motor vehicle use.