Chris Finlayson
National Party Candidate for Mana

5 September 2005

Coastal highway will destroy Mana, wreck coastline

The planned highway upgrade for Wellington’s northern coastal route will destroy the Mana community and wreck the south beach end of Plimmerton, says National’s Mana candidate, Chris Finlayson.

“Contrary to what Winnie Laban, the Labour MP, says, Transit’s plans for a new expressway though Porirua will utterly devastate the coastal communities.

Transit’s plan will:

- Mean aerial ramps at the new and very large roundabout at Paremata that will overshadow the nearby primary school.
- Wreck Ngati Toa Domain by directing traffic through the middle of it.
- Push the expressway north 40 metres out into the sea around Goat point.
- Demolish houses at the south end of Plimmerton.
- Push the rail line into Plimmerton Domain.
- Cause massive earthworks where the road drops from Pukerua Bay to the sea.
- Wreck the coastline by pushing the road 40 metres into the sea.
- Remove all the major trees leading into Paekakariki.

“These are the facts of Transit’s plan for the coastal route, not scare tactics as claimed by Winnie Laban. She should read the plan again.” says Mr Finlayson.

“It’s ironic that Winnie Laban is telling me to get my facts straight when she clearly hasn’t read what has been proposed thoroughly, unlike the Labour candidate, I have been one hundred percent consistant on my position.

“At a public meeting at St Teresa’s in Plimmerton on 3 August Winnie Laban refused to give her support for transmission gully, as anyone at the meeting will be able to confirm.

“If the four-laning of the coastal route goes ahead, then this piece of coast will be wrecked forever.

“And it will be the fault of this Labour Government, lead by this Transport Minister, Pete Hodgson, who has sat on his hands and shown no leadership whatsoever.

“Residents of Mana, Plimmerton, Pukerua Bay and Paekakiriki should be very concerned about what is being proposed.” Mr Finlayson said.

ENDS

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