Road plans in doubt

There’s a few unanswered questions for Waikato with the Government’s 10-year plan announced for land transport and petrol tax.

The proposed tax increase, between nine and 12 cents a litre over three years, will fund new land transport plans that focus on investing in road safety and rapid rail.

But the question for some is whether the highway extension from the Piarere turnoff, between Cambridge and Tirau, will go ahead.

While the commuter train between Hamilton and Auckland looks more promising, state highway upgrades do not with a cut in funding.

The Waikato Expressway projects will be completed, as part of the Roads of National Significance under the last Government, but overall, all projects funding would decrease by 11 per cent.

Waikato Regional Transport Committee Chair Hugh Vercoe said the committee’s number one priority was Piarere intersection.

He said the announcement didn’t seem to favour their first priority.

‘‘We want the Waikato Expressway to be fully completed, not just go south of Cambridge then no actual end.

‘‘It will be disappointing to us if that doesn’t happen.

‘‘So it’s a little bit of a grey area, we know they have reduced the spending in that area, so that is the question that we are waiting on.’’

He said the Government looked like they were wanting to invest in passenger rail which looked promising but that was further down the committee’s line of priorities.

‘‘We have put in a lot of work, meeting regularly, all players on board, to get to this point with the passenger train line between Auckland and the Waikato.’’

Walking and cycling infrastructure is getting a 248 per cent boost in funding over three years and a whole new area is being set up to deal with funding for rapid transit.

Hamilton Mayor Andrew King said he was pleased for Hamilton looking at rail, freight and footpath transport.

‘‘It indicates support for rail projects, which is important for Hamilton with the passenger rail, and freight which fits in with our inland port’’.

But National MP for Hamilton East, David Bennett, said the announcement was a disaster for the Waikato.

Extending the Waikato Expressway was one of National’s proposed upgrades, with a fourlane extension for the Piarere turnoff between Cambridge and Tirau.

Bennett believes the highway upgrade will no longer go ahead.

‘‘Waikato had worked hard to get their share of the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF) and the new plan has put the region at risk,’’ he said.

Adding, infrastructure investment leads to economic growth that increases safety.

‘‘Waikato motorists will be paying extra tax and at the same time lose out on major infrastructure investment. We’re basically now paying extra tax that’s going into Auckland public transport.’’

Hamilton-based Labour list MP Jamie Strange said the new plan increases the opportunity for the commuter rail between Hamilton and Auckland and making our regional roads safer.

But he said there was no final decision on the upgrade of the Piarere intersection, and that would be made by NZTA.

‘‘It’s too early to be ruling anything out,’’ he said.