Disappointment with early start to Holiday Highway

Friday, 12 September 2014, 5:07 pm
Press Release: Generation Zero

Friday September 12 2014

Disappointment with early start to Holiday Highway while public transport projects delayed

Youth organisation, Generation Zero, is disappointed by the Prime Minister's announcement today that the Puhoi-Warkworth Highway would start construction in 2016. The highway is over 18 kilometres long, and latest estimates put the cost at over $760 million.

Spokesperson for Generation Zero, Dr Sudhvir Singh; “This highway is a very poor use of government funds, and is not backed up by any economic analysis at the Board of Inquiry. The safety benefits could be achieved for a fraction of the costs of building a full highway and there was no evidence presented to the Board that showed how Northland’s economy would benefit.”

Dr Singh “The fast-tracking of the Holiday Highway is in stark contrast to the government’s continual refusal to fund urgently needed public transport projects.”

In the May budget the government refused to proceed with an extension of the very successful Northern busway to Albany. Other important public transport projects like the North-Western busway and electrification to Pukekohe are being delayed by Auckland Council for a decade because of the lack of government support.

“Aucklanders are in need of a high quality public transport system to given people transport choices, and avoid traffic congestion in this fast growing city. The government needs to support Aucklanders vision for the city, rather than building more unnecessary motorways” says Dr Singh.

About Generation Zero:

Generation Zero is an organisation representing over 10000 young New Zealanders nationally working to cut New Zealand's carbon pollution through smarter transport, liveable cities, & independence from fossil fuels. http://www.generationzero.org/

ENDS

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