12. Hon MAURICE WILLIAMSON (National—Pakuranga) Link to this
to the Minister of Transport
Is he satisfied with Transit New Zealand’s 10-year State highway forecast process for planning State highways; if so, why?
Hon DAVID PARKER (Minister of Transport) Link to this
Generally, yes, because it is a transparent process that ensures appropriate prioritisation of projects that are competing for funding.
Hon Maurice Williamson Link to this
Why does the Minister have confidence in a process that sees Transit spending $75,000 on the printing of the glossy books alone, only to have several Ministers, including the Associate—and, at the time, Acting—Minister of Finance, within 1 hour come out and say that it is a complete load of rubbish and it will not happen, as well as the Hon Mark Burton stating in the Taupō newspaper that he will not accept the bypass being delayed and will have it corrected; what purpose is there to producing such a document?
My colleagues have not said that the prioritisation process is wrong. What my colleagues have said is that the Government is committed to the State highway building programme indicated in August last year by ensuring that additional funding is brought to bear. When that additional funding is brought to bear, the prioritisation process from the State highway forecast process remains appropriate.
Hon Maurice Williamson Link to this
Does he agree with the quote: “I am critical of the inadequate planning for what, to me, are obvious needs for State highway improvements.”; if he does not agree, why did he say so in his submissions to Transit in its 10-year process last year as the member for Otago?
The quote that the member refers to is an example of how the transparent processes under the draft State highway forecast process can be used by hard-working members to advance the interests of their electorates.
Hon Maurice Williamson Link to this
How does the Minister believe anybody can plan in an environment where a major roading project like the east Taupō arterial route, which was scheduled in the August plan to commence in 2006-07 but is now scheduled to start in 15 to 16-plus years—which means not actually anytime; it is beyond the never-never—and the Taupō District Council members sit with their heads in their hands saying that the council has even increased its rating to pay for its share, and now it has gone from even the 10-year plan?
Individual decisions in respect of specific State highway projects are decisions for Transit. They are prohibited from being taken by Ministers, so as to prevent pork-barrel politics. Having said that, I point out that it is perfectly appropriate for individual members of Parliament to take advantage of the process to transparently make submissions as to where they think Transit has got it wrong. This may be a case where Transit has it wrong and where the appropriate local member can help to address that issue.
Hon Maurice Williamson Link to this
If the Minister is worried about pork-barrel politics, how does he explain a letter to a number of organisations in Canterbury in June of last year, signed by Ruth Dyson MP, Lianne Dalziel MP, Tim Barnett MP, Clayton Cosgrove MP, and Mahara Okeroa MP, stating: “You will be pleased and delighted in the 10-year National Land Transport Programme announced today”, when the one that was announced only last week takes the actual start date of the Christchurch southern motorway extension from 2009-10 out to 2012-13 or beyond?
It is but a draft State highway plan. I encourage the member to do as Government members on occasions do—as I have done in the past—to submit on the draft plan so as to make the final plan better.
Peter BrownDoes the Minister concur that had our roading problems been addressed in the mid-1990s when the Hon Maurice Williamson was the Minister of Transport and was given the opportunity to transfer all the petrol tax into the roading account, we would be that much better off economically, there would be more people alive today, and Transit’s road planning would be a lot more straightforward?
I absolutely agree. I also suggest to Mr Williamson that he check his own party’s policy at the last election. Even as late as the last election, his party was not promising to put the petrol tax into the National Land Transport Fund. It said that it would increase the proportion at a slow rate over the following 6 years, which we are already ahead of.
Te Ururoa Flavell Link to this
Is the Minister aware of any funding allocation commitment made to the people of Te Teko for a roundabout; if so, will he honour that commitment?
No, I am not aware of that particular issue, but if the member cares to write to me I would be happy to look into it.
Te Ururoa Flavell Link to this
Is the Minister aware that 2 weeks ago in Moscow, Finance Ministers from the Group of Eight nations singled out high oil prices as the top threat to the world economy; and, given the advent of peak oil, when will he accept that current roading assumptions have changed and are no longer viable or sustainable?
The Government long ago began preparing for a different future from the history we have recently experienced. As a consequence, we have vastly increased the amount of funding going into public transport, and we are advancing other plans to reduce the carbon intensity of our transport fleet, including looking further at bio-fuels.