6. NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) Link to this
to the Minister of Transport
What progress has the Government made on progressing the Victoria Park road of national significance?
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister of Transport) Link to this
I am pleased to report that last week I turned the first sod on construction of the new, $400 million Victoria Park project, which is the first road of national significance project to get under way. This is also one of the first projects to benefit from the Government’s decision to increase State highway construction funding by $1 billion over the next 3 years. It provides further certainty in an important and vulnerable time for the construction industry. I am pleased to report that the project is expected to employ 450 people: 350 directly on-site, and a further 100 in downstream jobs.
This project will greatly ease congestion for the 160,000-plus vehicles that use this route every day, as well as allow for improved bus priority measures between the city and the bridge. It is expected that by 2016 the project will deliver time savings of up to 20 minutes during peak times. In addition, the Auckland Harbour Bridge is a key freight route through the region, and this project will improve access to markets, economic efficiency, and productivity.
Darien FentonIf fast tracking such roads of national significance is considered by this Minister to be a measure of his Government’s success, how does he quantify the increased numbers of schoolchildren who could be injured or even killed because of the millions of dollars he has cut from New Zealand’s community road safety programmes?
We have not cut millions of dollars from New Zealand’s road safety programmes. The demand management and community programmes category in the National Land Transport Fund is steady at $120 million, and the New Zealand Transport Agency is determined to spend that money wisely in terms of promoting safety in the land transport sector.
Over the next 3 years there will be significant construction on five out of seven of these vital routes, with all seven to be substantially advanced within 10 years. Within 3 years we expect to complete the Victoria Park project and begin construction of the Waterview Connection, the Waikato Expressway, and the Christchurch Southern Motorway. Design work continues on the Wellington, Tauranga, and Pūhoi to Wellsford routes. The roads of national significance are being developed alongside key regional roads and public transport services, and they will all help secure a step change in economic growth for this country.