Save Kapiti Press Release -  Embargoed until morning of 1 July 2013

Octogenarians lead blockade of forced land acquisition to stop National's Kapiti motorway plan

Over 80s Kapiti residents will lead the first blockade of the National Government's planned motorway through their communities. The blockade begins at 10.30am today (Monday)  on a piece of land that the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is forcing the owner to sell for the proposed Expressway.  NZTA has ordered the man to leave the land by today, July 1, even though the road plans are under appeal and not formally approved yet. The Octogenarians have elected to sit at the front of the blockade, challenging the authorities to try to move them. They will be available to explain why they are doing this.

The site of the blockade is at the southern end of the proposed "Kapiti Expressway" route. The land on Poplar avenue in Raumati South has until now been a garden centre and the home of the garden centre owner. Save Kapiti campaigners have chosen the site as a rallying point for stopping the National Government's plans.

"Today's blockade is just the beginning," spokesperson Bobby Taylor said. "We have people willing and ready to get a phone call and come back here any time that NZTA tries to take control of the land."

"Prior to National's current motorway plan, the government and local community had agreed on a much cheaper and lower impact new roadway through the region. National threw out the other plan and is trying to force through a gigantic autobahn style road that will ruin the quiet and safe character of own beach-side communities. It is a joke of a road, which even NZTA's own economic analysis shows is not even vaguely viable. It has to be stopped."

"National has fast-tracked the planning processes and ignored the local people's concerns. But they do not realise how determined we are."

ENDS

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