October 20 1999

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hon Maurice Williamson

Minister of Transport

LABOUR WONT FACE UP TO KEY TRANSPORT ISSUES

The major issue facing the New Zealand roading system is to make sure we are able to spend enough for future development, Transport Minister Maurice Williamson said today.

"This is one of the clear messages we have received throughout our two years of consultation on our roading proposal, Better Transport, Better Roads. Either Labour have not been listening or they are not prepared to face up to the issue."

"Their only solution is to charge road users more to prop up the existing system where roading is paid for out of rates, road user charges and petrol excise."

"This means spending will always lag behind demand. The consequences of this must be more traffic jams, less safe roads and more pollution. These are issues Labour say they will fix, but they fail to say how."

"National's roading proposal would allow roading bodies, owned by local authorities, to borrow for future developments. This would allow them to see where the demand for roads is coming from, and build them in time to meet it."

Mr Williamson said this was similar to what New Zealanders do when they buy a house. They take out a mortgage, and live in it as they pay it off, he said.

ENDS

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