Dunne: Transit NZ setting out to sabotage - Transmission Gully

United Future leader and Ohariu Belmont MP Peter Dunne has lashed out at Transit New Zealand, saying that it has been following a pre-determined plan to stop the Transmission Gully motorway for years.

Mr Dunne was responding to reports that the more likely option to ease congestion on Wellington’s roading network was the Grenada-Hutt link road

“This is an inspired leak from Transit to take control of the agenda again.

“It has never been in favour of Transmission Gully, but has lacked the guts to say so publicly, and is simply trying to screw the scrum to get its own way once more,” he said.

Mr Dunne was also critical of Wellington local body leaders who seemed prepared to “go along” with Transit’s views.

“They are selling the capital city short.

“If our civic leaders are not prepared to stand up for Transmission Gully, what hope do we have of persuading any government that the project is worthwhile?

“This short-sighted approach by our local authorities is pathetic,” he said.

Mr Dunne said he remained staunch in his support for Transmission Gully.

“It is the best option, not just for today but for the long-term, and what is required is local leadership that is prepared to stand and fight for it, not cave in when the going gets tough.

“Anything less is a piece-meal solution that will need revisiting in the years to come as more problems become apparent,” he said.

Mr Dunne said that Transmission Gully could have been started “years ago” if Wellington’s local body leaders had shown “some guts and leadership instead of putting their own narrow interests first.”

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