Subscribe to RSSGovt: Road Network Top Priority
The associate transport minister told a conference this afternoon that the government sees the road network as :the core of the transport sector and a top priority.”
A lack of investment over the last 20-25 years has created deficits in our infrastructure that are clogging some of our vital economic arteries, Nathan Guy, told the MTA annual conference..
“We need to unclog these arteries, and quickly. We are putting our money where our mouth is and investing $11 billion over the next 10 years.”
He said all seven “Roads of National Significance” were needed to “reduce congestion, improve safety and support economic growth.”
Work on the Victoria Park tunnel project this afternoon
He said as local MP for Otaki, the work on the Levin to Wellington airport corridor was “great news for the region and has been long-awaited.”
On other issues he said:
Motorcycles: “We’re looking to make the license test for motorcycles more specific, and replace the current cc restriction for learner and restricted licence holders with a power to weight regime.”
Aging vehicle fleet in NZ: “We’ll be considering how we can encourage the uptake of features like Electronic Stability Control and Side Curtain Airbags, and promote safety systems to consumers.”
Emission rules: “The next requirement is for used petrol vehicles from Japan to meet a standard known as Japan 05. This will become the minimum requirement from January 1, 2012. I appreciate that many in the industry would like to see a delay to the standard, and last year the government considered just that, looking at the arguments for and against. However, it is important we retain the current balance of responsibility for harmful emissions between new and used vehicle importers and provide certainty to the industry as a whole.”
9 Comments
“We need to unclog these arteries, and quickly. We are putting our money where our mouth is and investing $11 billion over the next 10 years.”
Fixing obesity by loosening your belt.
interestingly the lack of investment actually occurred in the 80′s and 90′s
@karl at 11billion dollars too. O.o
I remain rather confused that the roading network should remain the top priority, a
I am also concerned about the proposed expressway and the effects that this will cause to the community. Look what some so call local MP for Otaki said, how selfish.
He said as local MP for Otaki, the work on the Levin to Wellington airport corridor was “great news for the region and has been long-awaited.”
Yeah right! not good if you live on the Kapiti Coast, only good if you driving through the area and don’t wish to stop or a truck driver.
With government commitment like that it’s no wonder we are so far behind Australia, as we don’t have any solid annoucements about starting construction of the CBD railway loop, airport railway link and north shore railway.
If people wanted the expressway to go right through their community then they wouldnt have voted in a major that values green issues.
His comments make good sense. It’s true that NZ really suffered for too many years from lack of investment. The government has done quite well, despite all the criticism, to get the country moving - and they have done a lot for public transport compared with the previous governments, so give them a break. Roads are important too. Just look to Asia with all their good public transport, but they haven’t stopped building roads!!
The other thing which I find REALLY scary is the fact that people say expressways destroy communities. Well in that case, let’s not develop! Let’s just stay poorer than Australia, and continue to complain that life is unfair in NZ!!
“and they have done a lot for public transport compared with the previous governments,”
They have done NOTHING significant that was not already up and moving. Rail electrification? Was on its way. Auckland’s rail improvements? All on their way. Integrated ticketing? On its way.
On the contrary, they have massively CUT PT funding (you know, as in MUCH LESS money - compare the old GPS which sets the percentages as to how much money goes where with the new GPS they brought in last year). They have cancelled the regional fuel tax, and given Auckland a LOAN instead to pay for the trains (i.e. less money available for PT later). They have delayed Auckland electrification. They are debating rising the farebox recovery, despite NZTA clearly saying that it is a losing gambit for society to raise it. Then there’s their proposed changes to the rules around how PT providers have to account for their subsidies.
What PT improvements can you claim National have done? They have been a disaster all across the BOARD, they were just to late to stop the big projects that were already going on.
“Roads are important too.”
Apparently to the tune of being TWENTY times as important than PT (money where your mouth is). Despite the fact that, if the argument even holds true, that if roads were underfunded in recent decades, PT underfunding was even worse.
Get out a bit more - those PT systems in Asia weren’t built by the little cash that National is proposing to dribble on the issue. And NZ roads are in very good shape compared to overseas places like the US or even famed Germany. Maintenance budgets here, for example, are still keeping up with the damage. They are not, in many other western countries.
“The other thing which I find REALLY scary is the fact that people say expressways destroy communities. Well in that case, let’s not develop! Let’s just stay poorer than Australia, and continue to complain that life is unfair in NZ!!”
A Straw man argument if one ever saw one. It assumes that a) people oppose growth, when they oppose sprawl, and b) it assumes smarter development than ROADS ROADS ROADS is impossible. Auckland is ridiculous in it’s car-centricness, and the roads lobby uses the mistakes of the past to justify the mistakes of the future. And you just believe them.
Kel, are you Steven Joyce or a young Nats plant here? You clearly have no idea about the cuts and delays the National Party lead Government have done to this country.
They are totally against rail and PT. The Road Transport Forum (trucking lobby) funds the national party …that’s why the Nats are pro roads for trucks at the expense of all other modes.
Kel, do yourself a favour and wake up please.
Firstly in reply to you two angry PT supporters;
I never said the government’s PT policies are perfect. The delays and all are regrettable, but as I so often look at this blog, it seems to be all about development of transport initiatives of all types, and Jon seems to be having positive new articles on PT put up every day. Or is Jon just tricking us all? Whether integrated ticketing, electrification or whatever were ‘on their way’, that’s OK, because they haven’t been canceled and they ARE happening no matter whether they support them or not obviously.
Yes, PT is very important and densification around PT interchanges is too - not highways and sprawl! However, roads are important as well. That 4 station loop isn’t going to do much for the cities of Wellington or Tauranga, so money needs to be spent there as well.
@ Max - no need to tell me to get out a bit more. I’ve lived in Asia for 1/3 of my life and I know what’s going on here with PT, because I use it every day. Obviously a lot of money gets put in, but the benefits of being citizens here are far less - which is another story.
@ Nats anti PT and rail. I am not in NZ at the moment, but I follow this site as close as I can. It seems like the work going on there is quite positive, and when I went back last I really enjoyed the seeing the new developments and improvements in PT, so I feel it’s quite hard to join in in the negativity posted here some times. Maybe I need to wake up, but I just don’t feel it’s all that bad!
@Kel Sorry you had to blow a fuse. I’m with you on this one. I never get the angst from some of the PT advocates.
Jon C Thanks for your coverage of all things transport without bias and level headedness.