FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wellingtonians' deserve better over Transmission Gully

Porirua City Councillor Robert Shaw says calls to examine further alternatives to Transmission Gully typical of bureaucrats who want to avoid simple truth.

Transit NZ has a short memory. The alternatives to Transmission Gully have been examined over a period of 15 years and over $2 million has been spent already on transport plans for Wellington.

The correct forum for a decision on transport plans is the Wellington Regional Land Transport Committee.

They have consistently concluded that Wellington needs better access north and that Transmission Gully is a key part of that access.

This conclusion was based on research over a long period of time and Transit NZ and all the councils have been a part of that work.

Now we have a plethora of vested interest groups saying with varying degrees of politeness that the coast should be sacrificed for a road.

But that does not solve the security problems that require an alternative route.

It does not solve the capacity problem either unless you are willing to sacrifice the coastal marine area between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki.

Even if we do sacrifice the coastal marine area, we know any little shake will make the cliff fall on any road that is built.

We know for certain that delays in key decision making have cost Wellington dearly.

We know that heavy rain can leave Wellington cut off from the north.

We know we are vulnerable to earthquakes.

We know we have invested in a hospital that is remote from the population.

We know the upgrade of state highway one will not solve the commuters problems.

We know communities are being destroyed by unnecessary road works.

We know $46 million has been wasted on works that were not a priority in Wellington's regional transport plans.

And, we know that the road is practical - Transit was buying land, seeking consents, and planting trees in preparation for the building project.

We need to ask Transit why it is suddenly going to take so long to build the road. For years they said it would need two years to plan and two years to build.

Wellingtonians should unite behind the existing plan which calls for the immediate construction of the Transmission Gully Motorway. They should not be deflected. They should make it clear that this is an election issue in Wellington, the Hutt, Porirua and Kapiti.

For more information: Robert Shaw - Porirua City representative on the Regional Land Transport Committee.

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