Double-laning Darby and Joan disputed

The Prime Minister’s by-election promise to double lane the road between Northland’s iconic Darby and Joan kauri trees has been contradicted by officials, Labour’s spokesperson for Transport Phil Twyford says.

The NZ Transport Agency has told a media outlet that not all 10 bridges named by the Government for double-laning are currently in NZTA's sights, with one, the Darby and Joan bridge, investigated “only for strengthening and other resilience improvements”.

“National’s desperate pork barrelling during the Northland by-election continues to unravel with NZTA saying the Government might not be able to fund the 10 bridges through the transport budget because they might not meet the criteria.

“In fact officials are casting doubt on whether the double-laning on the Darby and Joan bridge will go ahead at all.

“When the road between these two kauri trees in the Waipoua Forest was upgraded in the 1990s the work to protect the trees won international praise.

“National’s farcical bridges bribe was put together in a panic, minus any official advice. It is now unravelling as a result.”

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