1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,559 Speaker 1: Barriso Per, senior political correspondence with us now Berry. 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:04,360 Speaker 2: Hello, good afternoon, Heather. 3 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: Looks like Auckland's the big winner with this land transport plan. 4 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:11,039 Speaker 2: Yet, well it seems so, and I heard you say 5 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 2: earlier hither that we've heard a lot of talking about transport. 6 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:18,439 Speaker 2: Now we'd like to see spades in the ground and 7 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 2: some of the stuff being started. And it doesn't happen overnight. 8 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:24,960 Speaker 2: We know that, I mean, the big bug bear I 9 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 2: think for motorists around New Zealand has always been potholes 10 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 2: and the damage that they can do to cars. Well, 11 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 2: they're getting five and a half billion over three years 12 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:38,240 Speaker 2: while maintenance and operations of state highways and local roads 13 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 2: which are jointly funded by councils. Incidentally, they get almost 14 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,960 Speaker 2: five billion dollars state highway improvements. They are going to 15 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 2: be very much to the four seven billion dollars public 16 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 2: transport services, which is I guess more city in the 17 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 2: cities and infrastructure they'll be increase from five billion dollars 18 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 2: to six and a half billion, So they're spending a 19 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 2: lot more money. The only downside, I guess if you 20 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 2: like to walk and cycle around the place, the funding 21 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 2: for that has been halved from a billion to under 22 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 2: five hundred million dollars in this latest plan. So the 23 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 2: last plan, when you look at construction of new roads 24 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 2: that was six point six billion, that's been increased to 25 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 2: eight point three billion. And the current plan, so more 26 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 2: money is being spent. Now we want to see the 27 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 2: work started. 28 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, I see he's had a massive crack of cycle 29 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: ways and speed bumps. Do you hear that? 30 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:42,119 Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, exactly, Well speed bumps. You know we've heard 31 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 2: how much councils spend on them, which is patently ridiculous. 32 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: Did you have a look at what's going on in 33 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: Wellington Bury. I don't know if you've seen this, but 34 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: quite an interesting little development in the Reading Cinema deal. 35 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 2: Oh well, look, is there anything that goes smooth and 36 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 2: Wellington when it comes to the city council. Now you'll 37 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 2: be aware that, in fact, the council had voted in 38 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:12,239 Speaker 2: favor essentially of buying the land under Reading Cinemas, which 39 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 2: is on Courtney Place, a very prominent part of the place, 40 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 2: and then allowing the cinema to spend a bit more 41 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 2: money on doing up the place. Magg it earthquake proof. Well, 42 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 2: apparently somebody leaked information of that and the allegation was 43 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 2: that after they voted in favor of it, a Councilor 44 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 2: Tony Randall said he was going to publicly release details 45 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 2: about that particular aspect, and that allegation was made by 46 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 2: the Deputy Mayor Lourie foon Well. The claim was based 47 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 2: on an account given by Tory Fanale's chief of staff, 48 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 2: Nardine Walker. And you may remember her hither at Parliament. 49 00:02:55,560 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 2: She was the Green Party Press secretary at Parliament. I 50 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 2: think she may have been actually I don't know about married, 51 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 2: but certainly they were partners. I think Linda Clark, the 52 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 2: lawyer formerly a journalist, was called in and the rappayers 53 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 2: spent forty three thousand dollars on inquiring into the leak 54 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 2: and what was going on at the council and they 55 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:21,399 Speaker 2: really haven't got any further ahead. You've got now counselors 56 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 2: licking their wounds saying that this simply isn't good enough. 57 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 2: And the point that has been made that the public 58 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 2: can see just how badly this council is being run. 59 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 2: Now the councilor Young she said it improves their allegation 60 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 2: that the Code of conduct inquiry, and that was Linda 61 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 2: Clark's inquiry was a political attack by the Greens, costing 62 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 2: the equivalent of the average of annual rates of fifty 63 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 2: homes in Wellington. You'd have to say, though, you know, 64 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 2: really Tory far how she's come out supporting staff saying 65 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 2: that they should feel empowered to raise concerns or complaints, 66 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 2: But honestly, is it the staff's job? 67 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: Very very good point. Hey, listen, thank you very much, 68 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: really appreciated this very sober senior political correspond 69 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 2: For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to 70 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 2: news Talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 71 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.