11 May 2009
Media Statement

Melissa Lee reveals she is happy for six-lane motorway to carve though Mt Albert

National’s candidate for Mt Albert Melissa Lee today revealed she is happy for about 500 homes in the electorate to be bowled to make way for an overground motorway through Mt Albert rather than a tunnel underneath it, Labour Transport Spokesman Darren Hughes said.

“After ducking for cover on the future of the SH20 to Northwestern motorway connection on TVNZ’s Q + A show yesterday Ms Lee was today pressed into finally revealing her stance. It will be of huge concern to the people of Mt Albert.

“Responding to questions in an interview on 95bFM radio this morning, she said: ‘it’s above ground for me’.

“This belated confirmation after months of evasiveness by National is the clearest sign yet that it is intent on riding roughshod over the wishes of Mt Albert people and will plough ahead with the hugely disruptive overground option, reversing Labour’s plan for a tunnel connection.

“That means around 500 (between 460-500) houses will have to be demolished, 500 families will be have to find new homes, and will result in huge uncertainty for the wider community with the loss of local schools, parks and businesses.

“Melissa Lee is clearly showing that she does not intend to be an advocate for Mt Albert people, and instead will adhere rigidly to the line set by the party’s leaders in Wellington.

“This is obvious in her trotting out of Transport Minister Steven Joyce’s spin inflating the cost of the tunnel option.

“National is cooking the books by claiming the development cost of the tunnel is $2.77 billion. This inflates the cost by a whopping three quarters of a billion dollars above the tunnel’s actual cost of $1.98 billion.

“To get to this dodgy figure, National has added the $240 million cost of the upgrade to SH16 in the tunnel option price, which has to be done regardless of whether the tunnel or surface option is chosen, and has shifted $550 million in financing costs into the sum, which the Minister himself has acknowledged was unusual.

“Labour is committed to the tunnel option, which is both affordable and good for the community. We need to get on with it and build a tunnel to finish linking up Auckland’s roads.

“The cost of the surface motorway will blow out. It will take at least five years to get ready. The cost of delay and congestion will be far more than a billion dollars, for an option nobody wants,” Darren Hughes said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media