Submit on SkyPath – key issues guide coming in January

Inside SkyPath, looking over the City and the Waitemata.
Inside SkyPath, looking over the City and the Waitemata.

Earlier this month the Resource Consent for SkyPath was fully publicly notified – meaning that anyone can make a submission on the project before 23 January.

This is a big project for Auckland and we encourage you to take the time to make a personal submission. It’s important to let the Commissioners know that Aucklanders understand and support the benefits of this critical and long-awaited link for the Auckland cycling network. It’s easy to submit online – but remember that your submission must be focussed on the environmental and societal benefits and impacts outlined in the SkyPath application, rather than your general support.

We know it’s a daunting task to read and process the very large amount of information which the SkyPath application contains over the Christmas holidays.

So in the New Year, Cycle Action will be highlighting the key elements that you might like to consider for your own submission.

Check the website in January for a summary of the key points in the SkyPath Assessment of Environmental Effects (AEE) – the key documents of the application. We think responses from cyclists are likely to focus on two key areas:

  1. Endorsing the high-level objectives for the project: We agree: SkyPath will transform the culture of urban connectivity by resolving the most critical gap in Auckland’s walking and cycling network. Auckland cyclists have been asking for a connection across the AHB for nearly 40 years, and understand that this is not just a stand-alone facility but a major step forward towards an improved walking and cycling network with many flow-on environmental, social, and health benefits that will help transform Auckland.
  2. Looking at the key points for cyclists: However the details of the proposal are also important and the SkyPath AEE documents provide a massive amount of material to help understand how cycling and walking access to SkyPath will work, and how conditions on the SkyPath shared-path will be managed. The Integrated Transportation Report is an important part of the Resource Consent application and we’ll be looking in more detail at its analysis of the design, operation, and integration of SkyPath into local networks. A couple of early comments we have already heard from cyclists include:

Cyclists’ submissions can help by confirming that you will access SkyPath by bicycle, rather than by private car, as the need to provide for private parking for SkyPath users is likely to be one of the strongly disputed issues at the hearings. Many cyclists have also already commented that they would like to see longer opening hours for SkyPath.

Of course Cycle Action will be submitting on the benefits for Auckland cyclists, and we’ll be asking to be heard in the public hearing which will follow.

That’s it until January – but in the meantime, these links have more information on the SkyPath Resource Consent documents and how to submit, if you’d like to start right now:

SkyPath Resource Consent Application Documents:

Auckland Council: Publicly Notified Consents http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/ratesbuildingproperty/consents/getinvolved/Pages/currentpubliclynotifiedconsents.aspx#central (you have to scroll down quite a bit)

SkyPath Website, making a Submission on SkyPath’s Resource Consent: http://www.skypath.org.nz/2014/12/making-submission-skypaths-resource-consent-application/

Check the Application Details: If you are submitting, make sure you have the application details correct. They are:

  • Application Number: R/LUC/2014/3364 and R/REG/2014/3365
  • Name of applicant: Woodward Infrastructure Ltd
  • Address: Auckland Harbour Bridge

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