This morning Minister for Regional Economic Development Shane Jones announced that a further $13.4 million will be spent on improving State Highway 43 (SH43) the ‘Forgotten World Highway’.

Stratford District Mayor, Neil Volzke says the $13.4m funding announcement is great news for the Taranaki region, and comes on top of $9.6 million already promised to seal the 12km unsealed stretch of road through the Tangarakau Gorge.

Mayor Volzke says, “We have been lobbying for these road improvements for many years and a better, safer road will be welcomed by all motorists.”

The upgrades include safety improvements, passing opportunities, a single-lane bridge upgrade and culvert replacements.

“We’re pleased Minister Jones has supported our view and given the green light for this future work,” says Mayor Volzke.

“It’s a satisfying outcome and one that will make our district and the whole of Taranaki much more accessible for tourists, and facilitate a major boost to the local economy as a result of increased visitor numbers”.

The Forgotten World Highway is a well-known and popular tourist destination and it’s estimated that these combined improvement projects will increase visitor numbers to Taranaki by around 13,000 annually.

In a statement from the Minister, the improvements will also provide resilience for the Central North Island’s transport network, as an important alternative to SH3 between Taranaki and the Upper North Island.

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On The Government’s Smokefree Laws Debacle

The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around – incompetently, as it turns out - for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable view is that the government was being deliberately misleading. Are we to think Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is a fool, or a liar? It seems rather early on in his term of office to be facing that unpleasant choice. Yet when Luxon (and senior MP Chris Bishop) tried to defend the indefensible with the same wildly inaccurate claim, there are not a lot of positive explanations left on the table.... More