Hon Gerry Brownlee

Minister of Transport

7 August 2014 Media Statement

Green’s transport policy says everything must go

Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee says the Green Party owes it to New Zealanders to identify which State highway projects would not proceed under its just released transport policy.

“With $11 billion removed from planned State highway projects, it’s hard not to conclude it’s all of them,” Mr Brownlee says.

97 per cent of New Zealand’s passenger travel and 91 per cent of freight movement is done on the roads.

“The National Government supports public transport and has provided $2.4 billion over the past five years. With the local government contribution that is $3.5 billion spent on public transport, including commuter rail investment in Auckland and Wellington.

“The Green Party needs to explain which of the following roading projects it would axe first, or if it’s all of them:

• Northland (Puhoi – Wellsford: $1.38 billion, Akerama Curves Realignment & Passing Lane: $10-$13.5 million, Loop Rd North to Smeatons Hill Safety Improvements: $15-$20 million).

• Auckland (Western Ring Route: $2 billion, Northern Corridor: $450 million, Southern Corridor: $210 million, State Highway 20A to the Airport: $140 million, East West Link: $10 million investigation).

• Bay of Plenty (Tauranga Eastern Link: $500 million, Rotorua Eastern Arterial investigation).

• Waikato (Waikato Expressway: $1.9 billion).

• Taranaki (Normanby Overbridge Realignment: $10-$15 million, Mt Messenger and Awakino Gorge Corridor: $20-$25 million).

• Gisborne (Panikau Hill and Wallace Hill Slow Vehicle Bays: $1.2-$1.5 million, Motu Bridge Replacement: $3-$5 million).

• Hawkes Bay (Napier port access package investigation).

• Manawatu (Whirokino Trestle Bridge Replacement: $25-$30 million).

• Wellington (Wellington Northern Corridor, includes Transmission Gully: $2.1 – 2.4 billion).

• Nelson (Nelson Southern Link investigation).

• Marlborough (Opawa and Wairau Bridges Replacement: $20-$25 million).

• West Coast (Taramakau Road/Rail Bridge: $10-$15 million).

• Canterbury (Christchurch Motorways: $730 million, Mingha Bluff to Rough Creek realignment: $20-$25 million).

• Otago (Kawarau Falls Bridge:$20-$25 million).

“The Greens also propose to cut local road spending by over half a billion dollars, putting pressure on our communities and compromising safety.

“Since being elected in 2008 the National Government has been rectifying a 30 year deficit in road transport infrastructure. The Green Party proposal would put us back by decades.

“The National Government has a balanced land transport policy (www.transport.govt.nz/gps) which gives commuters choice in the modes they use to travel and helps businesses to choose the most efficient way of getting their goods to domestic and international markets,” Mr Brownlee says.

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