18 July 2002

National Will Pass Special Legislation To Get Auckland Moving

National will get Auckland moving by bringing in special legislation to clear the way for the Auckland motorway to be completed, National Leader Bill English said releasing National's transport policy in Auckland today.

"Unlocking New Zealand's growth potential means unlocking the Auckland transport gridlock.

"National will legislate to allow public-private partnerships and road tolling to finance building new roads, and to finance public transport. Bureaucracy and outdated legislation is stalling vital progress on Auckland's motorway network.

"We will fund the completion of Auckland's motorway network with a combination of Government funding, public-private partnerships and, inline with our Public Investment Policy, Transit New Zealand borrowing and maximising the Crown's investment.

"Current projections are that the network won't be complete until at least 2014, and RMA hold-ups mean the motorway through Helen Clark's electorate wont be complete until 2015 (NZHerald, 10/7/02).

"This is not good enough from a Government that promised to deal to the gridlock.

"National will amend the Resource Management Act to speed up the slow hearing process for projects of strategic importance, and we will put measures in place to simplify the decision making on roading and public transport strategies.

"National's policy also has measures to improve road safety, increase use of public transport, encourage competitive access to the rail network, and encourage competition in port, shipping and stevedoring industries," Mr English said.

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