Tunnel Under City Is Still Nebulous

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 416, 26 July 1928, Page 1

Tunnel Under City Is Still Nebulous

PRELIMINARY SURVEYS

(THE SUN'S Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Though a year ago the Prime Minister stated that a start on the railway tunnel under Auckland might be made within a year or two, he now finds himself unable to.indicate when a start will be made. Replying to Mr. H. G. R. Mason, who recently asked when it was proposed to commence work on the Auckland to New Lynn deviation and duplication works, and whether the commencement of the Rotorua to Taupo line will cause any difference to the rate at which the Auckland to New Lynn work will be prosecuted, Mr. Coates said: “The preliminary surveys of the Auckland-New Lynn deviation are now in hand and will take some time to complete. “The survey affects city properties and necessarily involve considerable investigation with regard to buildings, sewers and other services on the route to be followed. There are also matters of policy which require to be investigated, and I regret that at the present time it is not possible to indicate when the work will be commenced.

“As regards the construction of the Rotorua-Taupo railway, it is not anticipated that the construction of this railway will have any bearing on the commencement of the Auckland-New Lynn deviation and duplication.”