Media Statement
For immediate release
Tuesday, 30 March, 2004

Dunne: UF welcomes Auckland funding announcement

United Future leader Peter Dunne today welcomed the announcement today that Auckland will receive a $1.62 billion transport funding boost, coming off the back of a great deal of work between United Future and Labour since the election on new methods for obtaining roading funding.

"Given the severity of Auckland's gridlock problems, we strongly welcome this investment into its transport system and hope that even more will soon be available from government borrowing and public private partnerships.

"It can't come soon enough," Mr Dunne said.

And the rest of the country won't miss out either, he said.

"Quite apart from the economic benefits that will stem from getting Auckland moving, there will be about an extra $130 million per year available for roads around the rest of New Zealand thanks to this package," he said.

Mr Dunne also stated that the ongoing Green Party pre-occupation with finding alternatives to cars - "presumably bicycles and bare feet, and the tired old line about imminent oil depletion" - indicated as clearly as ever why the Government would continue to need United Future for a commonsense approach to building the nation's infrastructure.

Ends.

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