Southern Link not a priority for Govt

The Southern Link Investigation has tumbled from the previous Government’s high priority position to a new low.

In an eight-point scale of national priorities, with one being the highest and eight being the least, the investigation comes in at number seven.

The Rocks Road cycle and walkway project didn’t rate much better, reaching number six priority in the new government’s transport policy.

Nelson’s regional transport committee (RTC) received a report by independent expert Neil Cree it commissioned which made the case that both projects had the potential to be bumped up a rating.

Mayor Rachel Reese said at a transport committee meeting yesterday the low ratings for the council’s priority roading projects were a challenge.

‘‘We’ve really got to work hard if we want to get funding we need to come into this area. We’ve got to work really hard around that,’’ she said.

However, she was positive about the general direction of the Government’s transport policy. She said the Government Policy Statement (GPS) provided a ‘‘much better framework’’ than the previous National governments.

‘‘As long as we can get the funding, we’re in a much better place than we were.’’

‘‘Hopefully these [projects] don’t get knocked out in the moderation process. If they do, I would have to say as mayor, I will be extremely vocal about mixed messages on commitment to the regions and then no follow through in funding,’’ Reese said.

The council finalised its regional transport plan to the NZTA at the meeting and now has to wait to see if its requests will be funded.

Councillor Mike Rutledge was concerned that though there was more funding available for local transport plans, a lot was focused on projects like light rail which Nelson could not take advantage of.

‘‘Big chunks of [funding] are being put to rapid transport, which it would appear Nelson might struggle to get, so are we fighting for effectively a smaller pie?’’

However, New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) representative Jim Harland said that overall, there was more money available to the regions.

‘‘If you look at the draft GPS and look specifically at the money for local road improvements and local road maintenance, which are critical to the regions, there’s more in those two budgets than there’s ever been before,’’ he said.

‘‘The crucial thing is there’s less money for new state highway improvements, so that money has gone into all these other places ... There’s more in the system [for local government transport] than we’ve ever had.’’

Despite the low rating of the Southern Link Investigation, NZTA confirmed to council staff that funding has been committed to a detailed business case which will further the investigation into the Southern Link and into Rocks Road improvements.

The Southern Link investigation looks at options for solving the issue of the unsuitability of Rocks Rd as a state highway.

Along with the two existing projects, three more have been introduced: a road-user corridor to reduce danger to pedestrian and cyclists; noise walls to improve environment and health near motorways; and the introduction of median barriers between Nelson and Richmond.

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Nelson woman Rose Renton wanted to show local MP Nick Smith what it felt like to be violated by poison in an act of protest last year.

She has denied rubbing rat poison in the face of the former environment minister at the Nelson Market last year and defended the charge at a hearing before two justices of the peace, David Whyte and Betsy Wynne, in the Nelson District Court yesterday.

In September, Smith said two protesters rubbed rat poison on him