Highway date an ‘educated guess’
The MP who let slip the opening date for the earthquake-damaged highway on the east coast has back-tracked, labelling his comments an ‘‘educated guess’’.
Kaikoura MP Stuart Smith said at an election event in Blenheim on Thursday that State Highway 1, north of Kaikoura, would reopen on December 15.
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) neither confirmed nor denied the date, which lines up with its claims the crucial link would open by Christmas.
Speaking on Radio New Zea- land’s Morning Report on Friday morning Smith said the date was nothing more than an ‘‘educated guess’’.
‘‘If someone’s going to announce a definitive date it’s going to be the minister, not me,’’ he told host Susie Ferguson.
‘‘But it appears that’s what you’ve done though,’’ she said.
‘‘Well it could appear that way, yes,’’ Smith said.
The Kaikoura MP went on to say that it was ‘‘probably a mistake to say the date that popped into my head, yes, because people are drawing all sorts of conclusions from it’’.
‘‘But I think it’s pretty positive that people now know, and they have done for several months, that the road’s going to be open in December barring some sort of calamity along the way.’’
NZTA general manager for system design and delivery Tommy Parker said work to reopen the highway remained on track, but there was still much to do.
‘‘There will be more information available for the community before the end of September so that people who are making holiday plans are equipped with the best information at that point,’’ he said.
‘‘Even once this highway opens, the network is expected to be fragile for some time and everyone should expect delays as work will continue into 2018.’’
Transport Minister Simon Bridges has been approached for comment on the December 15 date.
Meet the candidates
Grey Power Marlborough and the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce are hosting an election event at the Wesley Centre, in Blenheim, on Monday at 7pm.
Candidates from the four major parties, National, Labour, the Greens, and New Zealand First, will be attending.
Entry is by gold coin donation.