Hon Steven Joyce
Spokesman for Transport
14 November 2011

National to extend RONS programme

National has re-committed to its major $9 billion investment unblocking key roading arteries around the country, and will develop the strategy further by examining new routes that need upgrading to improve our economic growth and productivity, says National’s Transport spokesman Steven Joyce.

“Our Roads of National Significance (RONS) programme is progressing well in our quest to reduce congestion and improve safety on our high-use highways around New Zealand.

“With the opening of the completed Victoria Park Tunnel for the first time today, it is timely to look forward and start assessing additional opportunities to upgrade our roading network.

“In anticipation of some RONS projects being completed, in the next three years we will be evaluating work on additional key high-use highways around the country. These include the highway linking the Waikato with Tauranga, SH1 Cambridge to Tirau, the Hawke’s Bay Expressway, and SH1 North and South of Christchurch.”

Mr Joyce says the new State Highway Classification System shows that these are the next most important roads that need development.

“Alongside the RONS programme we are also making investments in key regional routes, like Caversham in Dunedin, and the Rimutaka Hill improvements north of Wellington.

“In the next three years we will be looking for cost-effective opportunities to improve reliability and reduce journey times on key regional urban routes - like the Rotorua Eastern Arterial, and the Waiwakaiho Bridge in New Pymouth, and key inter-regional freight and transport routes that need work, like the Manawatu Gorge, and Mt Messenger in North Taranaki.”

National's Transport Policy, released today, also continues with major investment in rail, with National committing to continue supporting the $4.6 billion KiwiRail turnaround plan, and the completion of the network upgrades and new electric rolling stock for the regional commuter rail networks in Auckland and Wellington. Maritime transport and civil aviation also feature.

“Ours is a well-balanced transport policy, which focuses on delivering what works for job growth and for transport users around New Zealand,” says Mr Joyce.

“New Zealanders understand that a Party Vote for National will deliver big progress on developing all our transport networks, without being driven by political ideology.”

Visit the policy at:
http://national.org.nz/PDF_General/Transport_policy.pdf

ENDS

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