National spends billions driving up transport pollution

The National Government has been caught spending billions of dollars of public money on motorway projects without measuring the impacts these major infrastructure investments will have on the climate, the Green Party said today.

Information received under the Official Information Act shows that the Government has done no analysis on the likely impacts its $30 billion spend on transport infrastructure will have on climate pollution.

“The National Government is pumping billions of dollars of public money into motorways without a thought given to the likely, long-term effect on the climate,” said Green Party Co-leader James Shaw.

“Every major investment in infrastructure needs to take us in a low carbon direction in order to stop dangerous climate change.

“National has failed to even think about the long-term damage its doing to the climate through its one-sided investment in motorways. This is simply irresponsible.

“Transport is the fastest growing contributor of climate pollution in New Zealand.

“We agreed at Paris to reduce our climate emissions, so investing in low-carbon alternatives to motorways, like rail and coastal shipping for freight, should be the priority for transport investment.

“Last month, the Green Party announced a plan to get half of New Zealand’s freight moving by rail and sea within 10 years, and dramatically reduce the number of dangerous trucks clogging up New Zealand’s roads.

“Eight years on, and National is still doing as little as then can get away with on fighting climate change.

“It is time to change the Government,” said Mr Shaw.

ENDS

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