The brakes are on again for Auckland's controversial Harbour Bridge SkyPath cycle and pedestrian crossing.

Mediation talks on the controversial $33 million proposed project have failed.

SkyPath Trust and six opposing residents groups couldn't reach agreement leaving it up to the Environment Court to decide if the project proceeds.

SIMON MAUDE/STUFF SkyPath head Bevan Woodward: "We wouldn't call it complete failure but mediation has definitely finished, we're now before the Environment Court."

Sources on both sides said consensus couldn't be reached on design and planning factors affecting traffic, parking and resident privacy.

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It's likely Environment Court chief judge Laurie Newhook will now decide SkyPath's fate in court hearings.

SUPPLIED Many residents in St Marys Bay and Northcote Point complain SkyPath users travelling through their suburbs will reduce privacy and take parking.

SkyPath Trust estimates up to 5000 people a day could use the route if it goes ahead.

Since SkyPath's August 2014 conception, the proposed project backed by Auckland Council has met fierce opposition from residents and heritage groups on both sides of the bridge.

During public submissions on SkyPath's 2015 resource consent application, lobby group Generation Zero was credited with helping mobilise more than 11,500 submissions overwhelmingly in ​favour of SkyPath.

JASON DORDAY / FAIRFAX NZ Since Auckland harbour bridge's 1959 opening pedestrians and cyclists have only been allowed to cross it during special events.

​Independent commissioners granted SkyPath Trust resource consent.

Opposing groups lodged an appeal with the Environment Court late that year but the court first offered both sides mediation.

SkyPath head Bevan Woodward said four days of face-to-face talks ended late December and the sides had been exchanging correspondence up until the May 31 mediation deadline.

SIMON MAUDE / FAIRFAX NZ SkyPath's proposed clip-on structure on Auckland harbour bridge has had wind tests but no definitive business case yet,

"We wouldn't call it complete failure but mediation has definitely finished, we're now before the Environment Court," Woodward said.

SkyPath opponent and Northcote Point resident Kevin Clarke, representing several opposition groups wouldn't comment on the case.

No Environment Court date has been set to hear the opposition group's appeal.

SIMON MAUDE / FAIRFAX NZ Auckland Council's elected officials have been "relatively starved" about SkyPath information said rates campaigner David Thornton.

Secrecy pushes back SkyPath discussions

Rates campaigner David Thornton remains skeptical about SkyPath's cost to ratepayers following Auckland Council postponing an update meeting.

Council's Governing Body May 25 update meeting discussing Skypath will now be in late June following complaints there's too much secrecy.

SIMON MAUDE / FAIRFAX NZ North Shore councillor Chris Darby concedes some "commercially sensitive" SkyPath information will remain discussed in secret by Auckland councillors.

Rates campaigner David Thornton attacked secrecy around council's involvement in the public-private SkyPath project saying elected councillors "appear to have been relatively starved of financial information, despite huge sums being spent or promised so far".

"It seems ratepayers are having their money spent at the whim of a council which is not in control of its spending decisions," Thornton said.

Thornton believes SkyPath's projected cost has increased.

"I'm suspicious about what's in that report, we know the last time [council] came up with a price it was $33 million and at that stage there was no business case, a business case may come up with the need to spend more money."

North Shore councillors Chris Darby and George Wood said they welcomed the update's June reschedule.

"We're talking about some big financial considerations, I'm concerned we were talking about it behind closed doors," project sceptic Wood said.

"We balked at this report . . . there's a lot of problems inherent with it, we're going to amend this report so we can do all the work in the open record," SkyPath supporter Darby said.

A reduced amount of "commercially sensitive" information for the public-private project will still have to be discussed in confidential, Darby concedes.