Auckland Council has a heads of agreement to fund the Central Rail Link (CRL) by way of a special purpose company called CRL Ltd.
Setting up acompany structure should allow the CRL project to be incentivised to be completed as quickly as possible, notes Auckland Chamber head Michael Barnett.
“The disruption to businesses in Albert St is already significant,” he adds. “The problem in Auckland isn’t the funding, but the speed at which we do things – it is far too slow.
“I would like to think that now the funding has been secured some smart management can be applied to get the job completed sooner.”
He points out that an important part of the heads of agreement is KiwiRail’s commitment to upgrade the wider rail network to improve the efficiency of commuter rail services and rail freight.
The CRL is programmed for completion by 2023, which could entail seven years of potential disruption to the inner city.
“The bottom line of CRL is that as well as enabling commuter train services across Auckland to be doubled, it is an urban transformation project which will give investment confidence in the vitally-needed private sector property developments in the inner city that we also need to get on with urgently,” concludes Barnett.
