For Immediate Release

7 July 2002

Public Meeting – The Bypass is Happening … Yeah Right

Campaign for a Better City (CBC) will hold a Public Meeting at Thistle Hall on Tuesday, 16 July, 7pm onwards. Hon Sue Kedgley and the Hon Marian Hobbs, Minister for the Environment will be among the speakers.

CBC will clarify the funding situation, look at the impact of the NZ Transport Strategy and provide an update on the appeal of the Archaeological Authorities. The second part of the meeting will break out into groups to look at different areas of activity.

Also featuring at the meeting will be a display of photographs taken by Chris Rabey. The photographs are both interior and exterior and cover the last 4 decades.

Funding

Funding has NOT been given to the project contrary to recent media reports. Transfund has placed the bypass on its list of “indicative priority projects” for 2002/2003. The whole list would cost $72.14 million but only $35.6 million has actually been made available this year. This means there will be serious contention for funds. Funding approval for the bypass is dependent on an assessment of the bypass project by Transfund and its relative priority in the list. Given that the “Widening of mana esplanade”, costing $28 million, has a higher ranking, the bypass is unlikely to be funded this year (the year to June 2003).

Induced Traffic Study

Transit has long contended that no new traffic would be induced by the bypass and have been resistant to carry out a study. However last year they were obliged by Transfund to carry out a study. The Traffic Design Group (which is contracted to Transit through Opus Consulting) was commissioned by Transit NZ to carry out a study. The results were given to Transfund some weeks back and Transfund are reviewing these.

Appeal of the Archaeological Authorities

Both Campaign for a Better City and Te Aro Heritage have appealed the decision of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (“the Trust”) to grant Archaeological Authorities to Transit NZ in respect of the Wellington City Bypass. The appeal will be heard in the Environment Court. All parties are seeking an urgent hearing but no date has been set at this stage.

ENDS

For Campaign for a Better City Inc. contact Alan Whiting: (04) 384 2201

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