Update August 2024:
In short…the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) is out…the Gowing Drive connection to Te Ara ki Uta ki Tai (Glen Innes to Tamaki Drive Shared Path) didn’t get any funding this round which means its been delayed…again. The community still really, really, really wants it to happen.
The Residents Association will continue to advocate for this vital link for the community. In the meantime if you, your whanau and friends want safe and quick access across the Pourewa Valley to and from Selwyn College, St Thomas School, to the city and the waterfront and to ease congestion on St Johns and Kohi Rd, then email Simeon Brown () who along with being the Minister of Transport also happens to be the Minister for Auckland, and tell him to do better for Tamaki Makaurau and what the Gowing Drive connection would mean for you.
The slightly longer version….recently we called on the community to submit to the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) in support of the Gowing Drive connection to Te Ara ki Uta ki Tai (Glen Innes to Tamaki Drive Shared Path), one of our committee even stood on the shared path and encouraged people to submit. And the support from the community was overwhelming.
We haven’t been told the exact numbers, but we understand there was a significant number of responses in support of the connection received from Meadowbank and other local communities.
Disappointingly following the announcement of the RLTP, Auckland Transport have provided the following update on the Gowing Drive connection:
‘It is likely the Gowing Drive project will be put on hold as the push is to complete Stage 4 of the GI to Tamaki Drive cycleway.
There will be no additional central government money for walking/cycling this year other than committed projects which includes GI-Tamaki Stage 4B. This project is out to tender for construction, and we anticipate starting later this calendar year (subject to final full confirmation of Waka Kotahi funding and that the tendered price falls within the funding envelope).
The Gowing Drive project costs are associated with creating the underpass, installing the associated drainage, and making the adjacent embankment stable. This makes it unaffordable in the current funding climate with no regional fuel tax being collected and the Government Policy Statement (GPS) direction which make it harder to gain co-funding for walking/cycling infrastructure as this scores low in the government’s prioritisation method.
However, the current funding challenge for Auckland pre-dates the current GPS because large sums are set aside for new trains, ferry electrification and opening of CRL for the next 2-3 years. As the funding situation eases, we hope to start to deliver projects like Gowing Drive that have been on hold.’
A local resident sent Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown a very compelling evidence based email to ask the government to allocate funding for the Gowing Drive connection and received this reply:
With reference to Simeon Brown’s email, we believe the Gowing Drive connection:
- Aligns with Government Policy Statement priorities and direction
- Provides clear benefit for increasing safety
- Demonstrates volumes of pedestrians & cyclists
In addition, the fact that hundreds of school children cross the valley each day, twice a day over 200 days of the year and currently only have an arterial route to walk along guarantees a captive audience of eager users desperate for a safe and quicker way to get to school that isn’t in their parents car.
The Residents Association will continue to advocate for this vital link for the community. In the meantime if you, your whanau and friends want safe and quick access across the Pourewa Valley to and from Selwyn College, St Thomas School, to the city and the waterfront and to ease congestion on St Johns and Kohi Rd, then email Simeon Brown () who also happens to be the Minister for Auckland and tell him to do better for Tamaki Makaurau. Bonus points if you add in some key points that show the Gowing Drive connection aligns with key points in Simeon’s email (see bullet points above).
Update June 2024. The Draft Auckland Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-2034 sets out the land transport objectives, policies and measures for the Auckland region over the next 10 years. It includes the land transport activities of Auckland Transport, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, KiwiRail and other agencies.
The Regional Land Transport Plan is both a plan and a bid for funding from the Government.
Our area has 3 projects as part of the Draft Auckland Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-2034; the Gowing Drive connection, stage 4 of Glen Innes to Tamaki Drive and Glen Innes links.
Auckland currently has more proposed transport projects than the agencies can afford. The Gowing Drive connection needs support from the Regional Land Transport Plan to go ahead. So its time for a bit more advocacy. And of course you can show your support for stage 4 of Glen Innes to Tamaki Drive and Glen Innes links too.
Here is the submission form. Unfortunately there isn’t a specific place to advocate for specific projects but you can note in the last section your support for the Gowing Drive connection and that you would like it to have a bump up the ranking. You could also note;
- This connection should have been planned into the initial design
- You would like this connection delivered as soon as possible
- Hundreds of school children will use this connection to get to school safely.
- The only other way for kids to get to school is much longer and along a busy road that is in fact an arterial route
- Selwyn College school buses are overcrowded which Auckland Transport acknowledges but arent in a position to do anything about
Desley Simpson, Deputy Mayor and local Ward councillor, is also suggesting emailing Transport Minister Simeon Brown in one of her recent Facebook posts.
If you are passionate about walking and cycling you could also have a look at Bike Auckland’s submission guide.
The last day for submissions is Monday, 17 June.
Have Your Say NOW!
Update 31 October 2023. A representative from the Meadowbank St Johns Residents Association presented to the Auckland Transport Board.
Charmaine Vaughan Meadowbank St Johns Residents Association, Sarah Powrie Deputy Chair Orakei Local Board and Scott Milne Chair Orakei Local Board
Update 15 August 2023. Thanks to everyone that completed a submission in support of the Gowing Drive connection. Submissions to the Ōrākei Local Board Have your say are now closed.
A representative from the Meadowbank St Johns Residents Association presented to the Ōrākei Local Board business meeting on Thursday 17 August.
Members of the community at the Orakei Local Board meeting to support the Gowing Drive connection
We have some news on the long-awaited Gowing Drive link to Te Ara ki Uta ki Tai (Glen Innes to Tamaki Drive Shared Path).
But first some background – the Gowing Drive link will give local residents and students safe and quick access across the Pourewa Valley to and from Selwyn College, St Thomas School and the waterfront. It attracted a massive amount of community support and advocacy over the years, and was selected by the Ōrākei Local Board as their flagship project, and later was backed by Council’s Governing Body. This was a massive win for our suburbs and the wider area.
The link couldn’t be delivered as part of the main Te Ara ki Uta ki Ta project, so Auckland Transport set up a separate project called the “Meadowbank to Kohimarama Connections Project”.
Auckland Transport’s most recent update, from April 2023 notes that the project could “take the opportunity of KiwiRail’s closing the Eastern Line temporarily for upgrades, which would allow the construction of the underpass beneath the Eastern Line, from August to October 2023.”
So what’s happening? Well there’s good news… a property on Gowing Drive was purchased to enable access, and we understand the link has been planned and consented, and much of the design work has been done.
And, yes, there’s bad news… we’ve just heard that the Gowing Drive link has been put “on hold due to budget constraints. Construction funding is not available at this time… the construction timeframe is not known.”
So our children will continue to not have safe and direct access to schools, we won’t have direct access to the shared path for commuting and recreation and hundreds of car trips wont be taken off the road reducing congestion and car emissions because this project has been put on hold…or worse.
It makes sense to complete the work on the tunnel that is part of this connection while the Eastern train line isn’t running due to the Kiwirail work happening at the moment.
So please join the Residents Association and many others in speaking up for to show your support for the Gowing Drive connection by completing the Ōrākei Local Board Have Your Say.
If your aren’t familiar with the have your process here are some tips;
- You can jump straight to the ‘activity area 4: our places’ in the have your say document and tell them why and which focus area is most important to you…the Gowing Drive connection.
- No need to complete anything else other than provide your email and select that you are in the Ōrākei Local Board area.
- When you tell them why its important to you, you can mention (in your own words preferably);
– getting the tunnel installed while the railway line is shut makes sense.
– this project has had overwhelming community support from across the region.
– it provides a safe direct route for walking and cycling – from Meadowbank and St Johns to/from schools and the waterfront and to/from the train station.
– substitutes 100s of car journeys cutting emission and congestion, which is exactly what we need to combat climate change.
– include a personal story about what the Gowing Drive connection will mean to you.
Bonus points if you can encourage other people to have their say and if you have a local organisation or connections to one please get in touch with if you would like to provide a letter of support to the Ōrākei Local Board.
The Have Your Say consultation closes on 14 August so please don’t delay in completing it as it only takes a couple of minutes. And please encourage others to as well.