Transporting New Zealand is welcoming progress on the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) Programme, but says that a bipartisan commitment is needed to avoid the risk of costly cancellations and further disruptions to the infrastructure pipeline.

The Minister of Transport announced today that the NZTA Board has now endorsed investment cases for all of the RoNS, including Sections 2 and 3 of the Northland Expressway, the East West Link, Hamilton Southern Links, Petone to Grenada and Cross Valley Link, SH1 Wellington Improvements including a new Mt Victoria tunnel, and the Hope Bypass. This involves $1.2 billion of combined funding to move the RoNS to the next phase of development.

Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Dom Kalasih said that improved roading connections were good news for safety, productivity, and improving New Zealand’s lagging economic growth.

"When people and freight are moving efficiently, that’s good news for the entire country. You can see this in the close correlation between heavy traffic movement and GDP growth."

Heading into an election year, Kalasih is calling on all political parties to support the infrastructure pipeline by maintaining the projects identified in the National Land Transport Programme 2024-2027, including Roads of National and Regional Significance.

"These are not projects that can be delivered within a couple of election cycles. They require consistency across successive governments if they are to be delivered affordably and without delay. A politically-driven cancellation or winding-back of this infrastructure programme would be a nightmare for road users, local communities, and the national economy." says Kalasih.

"I’m optimistic that we can get buy-in on a bipartisan infrastructure pledge. Senior government ministers have highlighted the value of bipartisan commitments, and opposition spokespeople have indicated they don’t want to see projects cancelled."

Transporting New Zealand’s five proposed bipartisan transport pledges:

• 1. Support the infrastructure pipeline by maintaining the projects identified in the National Land Transport Programme 2024-2027, including Roads of National and Regional Significance.
• 2. Maintain road maintenance and economic growth as strategic priorities in the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport.
• 3. Back low-emission and high-productivity vehicles through continued land transport rule reform and pricing incentives.
• 4. Follow through on road revenue reform, including the transition to Road User Charges for all vehicles from 2027 (at the earliest).
• 5. Support sustainable transport funding through tolling and greater use of public-private partnerships.

© Scoop Media