Subscribe to RSSCrucial Transmission Gully Step
Wellington’s contentious Transmission Gully has moved a step closer today with Environment Minister Nick Smith referring a vital plan change to an independent Board of Inquiry.
Environment Minister Nick Smith referred the vital plan change saying that NZTA is seeking changes to the Greater Wellington Regional Freshwater Plan and that plan change, if accepted, will help pave the way for the substantive Transmission Gully plans to be lodged next year.
“On the recommendation of the Environmental Protection Authority, I am referring this application to an independent Board of Inquiry for their consideration and ultimate decision.”
The Board of Inquiry will be chaired by Environment Court Judge Brian Dwyer and board members are:
- Environment Commissioner Russell Howie
- resource management consultant David McMahon
- Canterbury engineering Professor Alan Nicholson
- RMA and tikanga Maori expert Glenice Paine
“Before the Government streamlined and simplified the Resource Management Act last year, changes to the Greater Wellington Regional Freshwater Plan would have taken years for a decision to be made wasting time and money,” Dr Smith says.
“A Board of Inquiry process is fair and robust while ensuring a decision on a project of national importance is made within nine months.”
The gully is proving to be a lively election issue especially on the Kapiti Coast.
1 Comments
I think that transmission gulley is a stupid waste of tax payers money. Whats worse about it is that it will enable more people to drive their cars. I don’t know where the government is getting this money from. I find it a bit hard to believe that the a road project gets all the spot light and attention and can be funded by tolls whereas public transport projects such as the CBD railway loop can’t. This is not on!. We have suffered a major earthquake half the homes were destroyed and it is going to cost billions of dollars to sort out and all the government wants to do is to build transmission in an earthquake prone environment. Idiots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Remember 2011 guys