What Key Had To Say About Transport

in General by Jon C — February 9, 2010 at 10:31 pm | 4 comments

No surprises but here’s what prime minister John Key had to say today in his statement to parliament about his government’s infrastructure and transport policy in the next year:

The Government has begun its programme of infrastructure spending that will see an extra $7.5 billion spent over five years on productive infrastructure.

That will contribute directly to job growth through increased spending, particularly in the construction industry, and indirectly by increasing the productivity of New Zealand firms.

Total capital expenditure over the next five years is likely to be around $24 billion.The Government intends to invest $10.7 billion over 10 years on building new state highways.

Construction will begin later this year on the Te Rapa Bypass in the Waikato, the Christchurch Western Corridor, and the Te Atatu-Lincoln section of Auckland’s Western Ring Route.

We will continue work on the Christchurch Southern Motorway, the Victoria Park Tunnel, the Kopu Bridge, the Hawkes Bay Expressway extension, and many other projects besides. And this year will see the completion of the Manukau Extension and the Manukau Harbour Crossing in Auckland as well as a number of important regional projects.

The Government will also be progressing electrification of the Auckland commuter rail network. In 2010, fibre will begin to be laid as part of the Government’s $1.5 billion ultra-fast broadband initiative, and further investment will improve broadband in rural and remote areas.

And Greens co-leader Russel Norman in his reply speech said:

Another growth industry in New Zealand is motorway building. Labour embarked on what Michael Cullen called New Zealand’s biggest road building project and the new National/ Act/Maori Party government is intent on building even more - over $10 billion on new state highways over the next decade.

As we grow the motorways we are also growing the kilometres travelled by car and trucks in NZ and hence New Zealand’s greenhouse emissions and use of imported fossil fuels. So not only will our children inherit the bill for all these monuments to this motorway obsession but they will also inherit high greenhouse emissions when we need to be cutting them and fossil fuel dependence in a world where fossil fuels are only going to get more expensive.

Labour leader, Phil Goff’s speech included the line:

His (Key’s) statement wasn’t just about tax. It was about the Government’s overall programme to advance New Zealand. In that, it lacks substance, it lacks conviction, it lacks anything new.

It is a series of reheated announcements we’ve heard before. Like late night TV, it’s repeat after repeat.

The Kopu Bridge – funded and initiated by Labour — has been re-announced for the 11th time. Even though National’s sole input was to bring it forward by six months.

And Act mentioned Auckland’s looming changes:

What we need is first rate policy to build a first rate country.
To that end, we will see a trimmed down and accountable single council for Auckland. Finally there will be decision-making that is both transparent and compared to the byzantine politics now ruining Auckland.
So, an exciting year looms.

Tags: Prime Minister John Key