Hon Darren Hughes
Transport Spokesperson

14 January 2009 Media Statement

Hughes concerned that Transmission Gully traffic lights may be changing colour

Labour Party transport spokesperson Darren Hughes is concerned that the green light the Labour Government gave to Transmission Gully has turned amber under the National Government.

"Transport Minister Steven Joyce, who says he has a 'mixed view' on the Gully, is effectively re-opening a debate that the region settled quite some time ago,” Darren Hughes says.

"The Wellington region has decided that its number one priority is Transmission Gully. The discussions now should be about how we fund the project, and not about re-opening old debates about whether we should go ahead."

Darren Hughes said that he and other local MPs, including Mana’s Winnie Laban and Ohariu’s Peter Dunne, had worked with the previous Labour government “to get Transmission Gully into a position where it could be built.

"In recent years we were able to make every post a winning post for the Gully project. Now it seems that National is unconcerned if the project stumbles.

"Our economy desperately needs the stimulus of a properly thought-out, detailed infrastructure plan. Under the Labour government, transport priorities were clearly detailed, but so far under National decisions seem to be being made on an ad hoc basis or are being put in the 'too hard' basket.

“National needs to get on with Transmission Gully. That’s the only option. Further delay is not acceptable.”

Mana MP Winnie Laban said today that she would be very disappointed if all the hard work the region had put into the Gully project proved to be of no avail “because of National reneging on progress made under Labour.

“This should not even be a political issue any more. The wider regional community, including the Transmission Gully Action Group, has committed to the project. We now need to move the project along, not to begin re-litigating it all once again.”

ENDS

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