Auckland's $1.4b Eastern Busway project draws near
A new busway in east Auckland is drawing nearer to completion with a new alliance formed to carry out the last construction stages.
The $1.4 billion project will see three new stations in Panmure, Pakuranga and Botany connected by bus, cycle and walking lines by 2025.
It promises to generate thousands of jobs to help the region recover from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Fletcher, Acciona, AECOM and Jacobs have been chosen to design, consent and build the final stages of the Eastern Busway project, expected to carry more than 30,000 people a day between the rapidly growing south-eastern suburbs and the rail network in Panmure.
The busway will cut travel time between Botany and Britomart, reduce traffic congestion and vehicle emissions, said Auckland Mayor Phil Goff.
It will help give East Aucklanders a less than 40 minute commute from Botany to the CBD, said Minister of Transport Phil Twyford.
The alliance will start critical design and consenting work before progressing to construction, expected to start in 2022.
The group has overseen other major infrastructure projects including Auckland's Waterview Connection, the SH 16 Causeway Upgrade and Brisbane's Eastern Busway.
Remaining stages of the project will extend the high frequency busway under construction between Panmure and Pakuranga to a new station in Botany Town Centre.
Project Alliance Board Chair Dean Kimpton said the alliance partners are excited to be part of a project that will contribute wide-reaching social and economic benefits to the Auckland region.
"The next stages of the project are expected to generate hundreds of jobs in the short-term and provide work for thousands of people and dozens of businesses in the supply and construction sector," Kimpton said.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Calling All Puzzle Masters! Can You Solve This?
When John was six years old he hammered a nail into his favorite tree to mark his height.
Ten years later at age sixteen, John returned to see how much higher the nail was.
If the tree grew by five centimetres each year, how much higher would the nail be?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.