The Transmission Gully Action Group (Inc.) AGM today will receive the following Annual Report.
 

 
Transmission Gully Action Group (Inc.)

2008 ANNUAL REPORT

With the support of community organisations from Horowhenua to Wellington, our Society came into being three years ago to offer an alternative to four-laning the coastal route for State Highway 1. 

We’ve succeeded in that objective with all political parties and our regional leaders now recognising that the proposal for four-laning Centennial Highway was neither sustainable nor sensible.  That scheme is dead and buried.

On the eve of a general election, the major political parties are both committed to immediate investment in infrastructure as something worthwhile in itself as well as for the economic impetus it provides.

Our task in dealing with the new Government is to ensure that the excellent work being undertaken by the Transmission Gully Motorway Project Team is well supported and funding is provided to accelerate the construction programme.

We need to emphasise that while local contributions to state highways can buy priority, it is neither reasonable nor feasible for the balance of the construction costs to be borne by the region’s ratepayers.  While TGM will be the region’s lifeline in the event of  civil defence emergency in Wellington, the benefits of roading resilience and a reliable new route for SH1, from Mackay’s Crossing Overbridge north of Paekakariki to Linden in the south, spread far beyond our region.

In the past few days economic commentators have observed that our political leaders need to stop talking and start doing:  To start putting in place an economic recovery plan to end the present recession and to secure the country’s future prosperity.

Building TGM sooner and within five years will materially aid that economic recovery and inject new vigour into our ailing transport infrastructure.  We need reliable roads and no amount of investment in public transport is a substitute for good roads providing access and taking goods, freight and people where rail cannot efficiently go.

The present Government has started that process with the creation of the NZ Transport Agency.  The Government now needs to commit funds to that capable organisation to enable it to deliver the outcomes New Zealand communities have waited for so long.

Clear and unequivocal commitments to fund and build TGM sooner will win electoral support in a few weeks time on 8th November.  Private partnerships could be one means of facilitating this.  We are seeking those commitments now.

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