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Transport – Another Step Forward
17 May 2007
Media Release
Transport – Another Step Forward
The Budget’s initiatives to help Auckland transport are all welcome but still fall well short of what’s required, said Michael Barnett, Chief Executive, Auckland Chamber of Commerce.
- The regional petrol tax of up to 10c a litre will kick start electrification of the rail network, progress the Western Ring Route and allow long debated projects like Penlink to get moving.
- The extra $145m for Western Ring Route projects honours Government’s commitment to maintain certainty of a completion by 2015.
- The confirmation that all petrol money raised will be spent on transport and not be diverted to the Consolidated Fund is a long overdue step.
“But no one should see these initiatives as a total fix,” said Mr Barnett.
The regional petrol tax of up to 10c a litre will help service a loan of around $1.5billion, when the problem to be fixed is in the order of $5-7b.
:The decision to split the regional petrol tax 50/50 between Government and regional priority projects is a worrying signal about Government not trusting the region to control its own spending and decide the priority projects,” concluded Mr Barnett.
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