Dozens have their say

Whether Aucklanders get a harbour bridge walkway and cycleway is in the hands of four people.

Independent commissioners have held five days of resource consent hearings for the SkyPath Trust’s $30 million plus plans.

Led by chairwoman Karyn Sinclair, hearing locations included Auckland Council’s Takapuna service centre.

SkyPath Trust project head Bevan Woodward looked on as 39 oral submissions were made.

Takapuna’s hearings ran an extra day to accommodate the number of submitters.

Before the hearings, Auckland Council received more than 11,500 written and online submissions on the trust’s plans.

Written submissions, many of which came through pro SkyPath group Generation Zero, are overwhelmingly in favour of the project.

However, the trust’s plans have faced opposition from several residents’ groups surrounding the SkyPath’s proposed southern and northern landfalls.

At the hearings, SkyPath opponents raised a wide variety of concerns including safety, congestion, privacy and cost for the Auckland Council-underwritten project.

On Wednesday the consent applicant SkyPath Trust make its right of reply on submissions before the hearings committee adjourned.

The committee is expected to reach a decision on the trust’s resource consent application for the cycleway and walkway in early July.

Photo: SIMON MAUDE Nearly 40 in person submissions were made at the SkyPath resource consent hearings.