Thursday, 1 July 2004

Baldock explains Tauranga bridge funding

United Future Tauranga-based MP Larry Baldock said today he was surprised New Zealand First MP Peter Brown was so willing to reveal his lamentable ignorance of how Government funding works.

Mr Brown today criticised the fact there is no money in the Transfund announcement of Transit State highway funding for the second Tauranga bridge.

“The reason,” Mr Baldock said, “is that the bridge has not yet been designated as a State Highway. It doesn't appear in the 10 year forecast for that reason also.

“It definitely should be and I have always been advocating for the Government to consider Tauranga's roading needs, but surely Mr Brown knows that in politics timing is everything.

“The critical time is in September when funding options need to be finalised so that work on the bridge does not come to a halt.

“If Mr Brown's leader, the member for Tauranga hadn't been so difficult to work with in the past, perhaps Tauranga wouldn't be suffering from so much neglect.

“Watch this space Mr Brown, and you can learn how a constructive Government partner works,” concluded Mr Baldock.

ENDS

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