Consultation


Public consultation with individual and community groups directly affected by, and interested in, the Northern Busway project began in February 2000.  Later that year, following a request by the Northern Corridor Steering Group, an intensive and wider public consultation strategy was developed by Transit New Zealand and North Shore City Council. 

The aims of this round of consultation were to:

  • Provide North Shore City communities with a better understanding of the project.
  • Enable the community to identify key issues and important social, cultural and environmental values, as well as to assist in developing design solutions that would meet community expectations.
  • Ensure the consultation requirements of the Resource Management Act (RMA) were met.

This consultation focused on two groups, the Resource Management Consultation (RMA) and the wider public consultation:

Resource Management Consultation

The busway project team had a consultation strategy that aimed to fulfill the requirements of the RMA (1991).  This focused on landowners such as Westlake Boy's High School, Westlake Girl's High School, Smales Farm, Takapuna Normal Intermediate School and various individual landowners.

Consultation also included interested or affected parties such as the Department of Conservation (DOC), the Ministry of Education, iwi groups and network utility companies.

Liaison continued with parties that appealed consent conditions.  An example of this was the establishment of the shore bird nesting sites in Shoal Bay.

Wider Public Consultation

Wider consultation focused around the bus stations, and associated interchanges, that serve the various communities along the northern corridor.  This approach was taken as the majority of outstanding issues and concerns were focused on these stations.

The consultation has taken various forms including:

  • Community Board presentations

Presentations were made to the Albany, East Coast Bays, Birkenhead/Northcote, Glenfield, Takapuna and Devonport Community Boards. Comments and resolutions made by Community Board members included the need to access bus stations and feeder buses.

  • Station-specific workshops

Workshops were held for a broad range of community organisations including residents and ratepayer organisations, community action groups, local businesses, community boards, schools, hospitals, environmental groups and iwi.  These workshops mainly focused on each busway station and associated configuration of the Esmonde and Onewa interchanges.

The workshops provided participants with information on the Northern Busway project.  They also enabled them to raise and discuss issues, constraints and opportunities in relation to the project, and provided an opportunity to brainstorm other options.

The workshops were well attended.  Comments made, issues raised and solutions put forward were recorded and, where possible, formed the basis for further design work on the busway.

Some examples of this include:

  • Potential impact on property values:  Some people were concerned that the proximity of the busway could reduce property values.  The project team provided evidence from comparable examples overseas that property values have increased as a result of this type of project.
  • Parking in local streets:  Some people thought those using the bus stations might park in local streets.  North Shore City Council agreed a combined approach would be taken including improved bus services to encourage people to leave their cars at home, as well as increased use of feeder buses, interchange improvements, and other bus priorities.  This has resulted in a decrease in congestion on local streets. 
  • Pedestrian and cycle facilities:  Concerns were raised about the provision of safe pedestrian and cycleway access to stations.  As a result, and in consultation with schools and cycle groups, key pedestrian-cycle routes to and from stations were identified.  Potential problem areas, requiring new infrastructure - crossing signals and over-bridges - have been incorporated into the busway and have also been addressed by North Shore City Council on its local street network.

Other issues raised that had an impact on design and implementation of the project included:

  • Ease of access to the stations
  • Effects on the environment
  • Effects on school property
  • Amount of compensation for land acquisition
  • Cost of the project
  • Project staging and timeframes
  • Public open days

A complimentary series of seven public open days were held in October and November 2000.  Like the workshops, the open days focused on the stations and interchanges.  Feedback was largely positive, with a number of people expressing concern about the potential effects of local stations on surrounding areas.

A follow-up workshop was also held for people who had attended the previous workshops and those who had expressed interest but had been unable to attend.  Key issues identified by the North Shore community were summarised and an outline was provided of proposed approaches to address the issues raised.

Some of the issues that were raised, and for which solutions were sought, included:

  • The local impacts of stations (traffic and parking)
  • Property impacts (for example effects on reserves and schools)
  • Integrated bus services (how best to provide these)
  • Fred Thomas Drive link (impacts and options)
  • Media releases
  • Newsletter and information sheets

A series of media releases, posters and advertisements were used by Transit and North Shore City Council as part of the overall consultation strategy to enhance public awareness and encourage feedback and attendance at open days.

In October 2000, a six-page double-sided newsletter was mailed to every resident and ratepayer on the North Shore about the BRT (Bus Rapid Transport) and HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) project.  Attached to the newsletter was a postage-paid feedback form that included the opportunity to request further information.

Newsletter feedback forms - results

A very good response of more than 3,000 feedback forms was received.  Analysis of the first 2765 forms indicated a very high level of support for the general concept (85%), with a 57% support for the proposed design, and a further 29% support for the design, with conditions.


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