Auckland’s council has said the £1.3bn cross-city rail link is ‘vital’ to help solve traffic problems in the city.
However, the area’s Ngati Whatua tribe say a monster featured in their folklore known as the taniwha, lives in an old stream that now flows ‘underground through concrete pipes’ where the new rail tunnel will be built.
The construction of a CBD rail tunnel will create several new stations and also improve capacity for trains on all suburban routes. It has been named as one of the most important future public transport projects in Auckland yet has faced problems in the planning stages.
Councillors were apparently stunned when a member of the Maori Statutory Board, Glenn Wilcox, asked for a meeting to ask what was being done to protect the monster named Horotiu.
Mr Wilcox complained that nobody from his tribe had been consulted on the matter.
In Māori mythology, taniwha are beings that live in deep pools in rivers, dark caves, or in the sea, especially in places with dangerous currents or deceptive breakers.
They are considered to be highly respected protective guardians of people and places, which is why the tribe are so concerned about its welfare.
City councillor Cameron Brewer accused Mr Wilcox of ‘letting off the T-Bomb’ by raising the prospect of a taniwha being in the way of the project.
In 2002 the construction of a stretch of road between Auckland and Hamilton was stopped after protesters complained for the same reasons. The road was later re-routed to conserve the area.
Transport Minister Steven Joyce released a review of the project which was conducted by the Ministry of Transport and the Treasury in conjunction with the NZ Transport Agency.
“In short, the review says more work needs to be done to determine the full future transport needs of central Auckland before proceeding with a project like the CBD Rail Link,” saidMr Joyce.
“However, the review suggests that in the meantime, it makes strategic sense for Auckland Council to move to protect the route, and I agree with that.”
The estimated construction costs for the CBD Rail Link are around $2.4 billion.
The review found the project would have only a modest impact on traffic volumes and is likely remove up to 1,400 cars (2,000 people) of the estimated 29,000 cars (41,000 people) travelling into the CBD during the morning peak in 2041.
The ‘taniwha’ is a ruse. The real threat to a decent rail system in Auckland is the current Government which prioritises roading and pooh-poohs urban rail. New Zealand “clean and green”? Yeah, right!