25 November 2019

The National Party is today launching a petition calling on the Government to reverse its decision to cancel the four-lane expressway between Ōtaki and Levin, National’s Transport spokesperson Chris Bishop says.

“Labour cannot be trusted on transport. Minister Phil Twyford barely had his feet under the desk in his Beehive office before he scrapped the four-lane Horowhenua expressway.

“Twyford’s decision is a gut-punch to the local people who are crying out for this project, as well as the thousands of Kiwis who want a safe and efficient State Highway 1.

“The safety record between Ōtaki and Levin is unacceptable, which is why the former National Government included a new four-lane highway as a Road of National Significance.

“Twyford cancelled this plan after raiding $5 billion from the state highway budget – topped up by motorists’ fuel taxes – to pay for his light rail pet projects in Auckland and Wellington.

“Labour has whittled the Horowhenua expressway back to a two-lane road and won’t even consider funding its construction for another ten years, if at all.

“Horowhenua can’t afford to spend another decade in limbo. That’s why Ōtaki candidate Tim Costley and I are calling on the public to help us change the Government’s mind.

“National will deliver the world-class infrastructure Kiwis deserve for all the tax they’re paying, instead of the broken promises and uncertainty they get from this Government.

“Regional New Zealand deserves more respect than it is getting from Phil ‘two-lane’ Twyford, who openly believes we’ve over invested in roads and motorways in this country.

“If elected in 2020, National will get on with building the infrastructure Labour is neglecting.”

National’s petition can be found at: https://www.national.org.nz/build_the_horowhenua_expressway

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