Rt Hon Winston Peters

New Zealand First Leader

Member of Parliament for Northland
27 JANUARY 2016

All Aboard for Auckland Only, Says Peters

Prime Minister John Key’s state of the nation speech was more a state of Auckland speech with only a few meagre offerings for the provinces, New Zealand First says.

A major concern for provincial New Zealand is the decline in the state of the roading network, especially rural roads, and the sad deterioration of our national rail network, says New Zealand First Leader and Northland Member of Parliament Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“But all Mr Key and his government can offer is $115 million for roading projects in just three regions of the country and made much about ‘accelerating’ projects. What nonsense, these projects will have been on the books for years.

“Three regions get some funding, but what about the rest of New Zealand?

“Regional New Zealand needs a big investment programme, not just maintenance.

“KiwiRail has acknowledged that they are just doing enough to keep our main rail lines, the North Island and South Island Main Trunk lines, up to their current state.

“In Northland, KiwiRail say the line is only being kept to a state that will result in deterioration. This is happening also on other provincial lines like the Napier line.

“At the same time as our rail lines decline, the pressures on our roads intensifies. This will get worse as the government is now considering allowing even more monster size trucks on our roads.

“To ease pressure on Auckland infrastructure the government should be maintaining our national road and rail networks to the highest standards and providing incentives for businesses to relocate from Auckland to places like Dargaville, Timaru and Oamaru.

“Most of New Zealand’s export income derives from provincial New Zealand, but you wouldn’t think this was the case under National.

“They are fixated on Auckland and its problems at the expense of the rest of New Zealand.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media