Gaslit Gala of the Smokin’ Mirrors: Northern Access Workshop

26 May 2025

Councillor Duncan of Taupo ward here, reporting to you on my short take of last Thursdays workshop. A fuller summary of this topic is to be found here.

𝟏. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐭 𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐚

“This is just a workshop.”

That line was used like a spell to ward off scrutiny—as if $300,000 in consultant fees doesn’t warrant any questions or need to have come up with a clear way forward.

When I asked why 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 was excluded from the steering group or even having any opportunity to contribute, I got:

• “You weren’t blocked” (𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴).

• “There was a vote” (𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵).

• “This isn’t the forum for grievances” (𝘜𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦).

When I raised alternatives like:

• tidal flow lanes,

• public transport modeling,

• emergency Bailey Bridge contingencies…

…I was shut down, reframed, or scolded for “derailing the meeting”.

𝟐. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐦𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧’ 𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐬

Here’s the script being sold:

Growth is inevitable. One bridge is failing. A second bridge is the only fix. Trust the experts (𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘋𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘢𝘯).

What wasn’t done:

• No structural assessment of the current bridge (even though we need to keep it going anyway – so are we going to have to pay for 𝘵𝘸𝘰 new bridges not just one?)

• No serious public transport scenarios

• No evaluation of a three-lane tidal-flow option with a direct Waikato St link

• No stated clarity on Mercury’s actual intentions with the control gates

• No proposed public input until 2027

• And still no reason given why consultant reports weren’t or still can’t be released ten months after their completion.

So what did we really get for the $300K spent to date? Not very much is all I can tell, except the necessary excuse to increase Development Contribution fees.

And contrary to assertions – Yes, this “non-decision-making workshop” only happened because I 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 it to happen via a Notice of Motion nearly one year ago.

𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆. 𝑨 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒑. 𝑨 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒖𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏. 𝑨 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆.

Just don’t call it transparency.

Quote for today and it’s from me: “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘺—𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰—𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴”.

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Watch the full meeting here: