Tuesday 1 October 2019

Lower Hutt residents face another transport blow with Let’s Get Wellington Moving

Hutt City Mayor Ray Wallace has vowed to put Let’s Get Wellington Moving on top of the agenda if elected Mayor in this coming election.

Wallace says residents of Hutt City will not benefit with a piecemeal version of the Let’s Get Wellington Moving package, especially if the tunnels at The Terrace and Mt Victoria don’t see the light of day.

“Thousands of residents from the Hutt Valley head into Wellington on a daily basis for work, hospital and airport visits. We need a full LGWM package, not a watered down version that only looks out for Wellington residents internally but not those travelling into town.

Hutt City Council has always supported the full package and our residents are contributing a significant amount of money through their regional rates, yet they don’t stand to benefit. It’s not good enough and I will be putting this front and centre on the agenda if I am still Mayor after the elections.”

Mr. Wallace also noted the consequences of political party involvement in local government.

“I am fundamentally against councillors deciding issues under instructions from a party. What’s happened recently in Wellington City Council is a prime example, where councillors both on and off the record claimed that they were told by a Labour-endorsed colleague that the Green Party confidence and supply agreement would be jeopardised ‘if a watered down Let's Get Wellington Moving wasn't accepted’.

From what we have seen in other councils around the country, a number of local projects have been met with bumps in the road due to party politics. This is concerning and that is why I have always run on the independent ticket. Party politics has no place in local government. My focus is putting people first, the residents of Lower Hutt and what’s best for the region,” said Mr. Wallace.

ENDS

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