The Tauranga City Council has saddled us, the ratepayers, with a white elephant in the form of Route K. Obviously, this project was approved by the council without the appropriate Needs Analysis and Feasibility Study being carried out. The same situation applies to the Southern Pipeline and next will be the knee-jerk reaction into stormwater works. The council seems incapable of identifying affordable and realistic revenue sources prior to approving major works.
However, all is not lost in terms of Route K. The solution is to relocate the Toll Plaza back to its original position on the Harbour Bridge. With about 30,000 vehicles a day ,the toll would need be only $1 for each crossing. Route K would be paid for in about 15 years with no ratepayer funding.
This is a regional road and should be funded on a regional basis. It is not a city street to be funded by rates. The debt is compounding at such a rapid rate that the city's finances will shortly mirror the Greek economy.
The Government has no spare cash to throw at this project. It will be a more palatable option for the Government to allow a change to the Empowering Act that will facilitate the relocation of the toll plaza.
The Government has a more flexible attitude to road toll funding now than it did when Route K was constructed. It is just a matter of the council applying pressure as has been the case with the Auckland rail loop. As the former Councillor Harris used to say 'its just a matter getting on a plane and banging on the appropriate doors in Wellington”.

Allan Griffin, Mt Maunganui.