Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

End of the road for the Southern Link?

End of the road for the Southern Link?

Nelson Green Party candidate Matt Lawrey is challenging Nick Smith to let voters know whether the Southern Link that the incumbent MP has staked his career on has fallen off the National Party’s multi-billion dollar motorway spending spree.

“Given the weekend announcement that National will again open the nation’s chequebook and spend willy-nilly on 10 other projects in regional New Zealand – but not the Southern Link - the pressure is on Nick Smith to front up about plans for his legacy project,” says Lawrey.

Lawrey says Smith’s obsession with the Southern Link has not only needlessly pitched Nelsonians against each other, it stopped Nelson City Council and NZTA from building a desperately needed waterfront boulevard for pedestrians and cyclists.

Lawrey says the apparent disappearance of NZTA’s Southern Link investigation also raises serious questions such as: Why are we still waiting to hear NZTA’s preferred option for dealing with congestion in Nelson?

“Unlike the National Party, the Greens aren’t afraid of looking at what it will take to prepare New Zealand for its long-term transport needs and ensuring that we include the role of rail in that future and increase the role of public transport.

“The plan we are releasing this week is about making New Zealand’s cities more liveable and easier to get around – a challenge that Nick Smith’s government has avoided for nine long years”.


ENDS


Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.