Wednesday, 25 August 2004

Glaring omission in roading study

The Allen Report on the benefits of investing in New Zealand’s roading infrastructure released today has one glaring omission, according to United Future leader, Peter Dunne.

“Nationally, the study says such investment would be worth a billion dollars to the New Zealand economy in the year 2012 – an outcome much to be desired,” he said.

“In Wellington, it is estimated the region would receive a net benefit of $128.5 million per annum in 2012, if various roading and rail projects were carried out.”

Those projects include the western corridor from Otaki to Ngauranga; the Hutt corridor from Upper Hutt to Ngauranga; the Wairarapa corridor from Masterton to Upper Hutt; Porirua to Hutt Valley; and Ngauranga to the Wellington CBD.

Mr Dunne said “The glaring omission is the failure to mention the proposed Transmission Gully motorway. If that project went ahead, I am certain the economic benefit to the whole region in terms of moving goods and people and the reduction in the road toll would be massive.

“Only last week, we were reminded of the desperate need for the Transmission Gully route with the needless slaughter of four Wellingtonians on Centennial Drive on the Kapiti Coast – a thoroughly inadequate road that is laughingly called State Highway 1.

“It’s well past time for the planners to realise that the whole lower North Island would benefit from the Transmission Gully route – and Wellington families would not have to endure decades of heartache and grief because their loved ones are being killed on a grossly inadequate highway,” he said.

ENDS

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