27 MAY 2015

No Bridges And Now Half a Road

Transport Minister Simon Bridges’ announcement that the Puhoi to Warkworth Highway is to be put out to tender as a public-private partnership doesn’t even contemplate a highway outside of the Auckland super city boundaries, says New Zealand First.

“In other words, what happened to the Puhoi to Wellsford super highway promised by National in the recent Northland by-election? says New Zealand First Leader and Member for Northland Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“The Prime Minister, Mr Key, allowed Mr Bridges to make that promise during the by-election knowing there was an absence of engineering plans and costings.

“However, as things now stand the public-private partnership option for a lesser highway is an enormously expensive option.

“Claiming that it will ‘free up $1 billion of state funding for other projects’ is just more smoke and mirrors,” says Mr Peters.

“Of serious concern is that the government is able to borrow at much lower interest rates than private interests, who will immediately pass the costs on to users.

“Any examination of Mr Bridges’ press release demonstrates how loose the government is with forward costings. For example, how will the PPP option free up $1 billion?”

ENDS

© Scoop Media