Victory At Last For Northern Motorists

ACT New Zealand Northland-based MP Dr Muriel Newman today welcomed Transit New Zealand's decision to fast-track the completion of the Northern Motorway Alpurt project, from Orewa to Puhoi, but said the next challenge would be to ensure that it is not a toll road.

"Our Northland petition to complete the motorway, as well as the advocacy of Northern mayors and community leaders, have finally managed to make the Labour Government see sense," Dr Newman said.

"Northlanders should be proud of the effort that they have made to successfully lobby for the completion of the project. It is great to see that commonsense has finally prevailed.

"The work is not over yet, however. Our next challenge will be to ensure that this motorway is not a toll road. It is State Highway One - New Zealand's premier highway - and, as such, should be funded by some of the $225 million in Transfund's coffers.

"We must continue to put pressure on the Government to accept that this is a priority project for petrol tax and road user charge funding - not separate funding by motorists," Dr Newman said.

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