Support for expressway extension
If you’ve been following news and social media over the summer, you may have already seen our petition to extend the Waikato Expressway in two directions: from Cambridge to Tirau and from Piarere turnoff to the foot of the Kaimai Range.
We have had a great response from people so far, which is extremely encouraging.
We gathered over 4000 signatures in just a few weeks, and Hamiltonians have had plenty to say about the project.
People are excited by the major improvement the Cambridge section already makes to the journey from Hamilton to Tauranga or Tirau, and the attractiveness of the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions as places to live, work and play has brought a lot more people and traffic to our road network.
This is a great challenge to have, but we can turn it into a disaster if we don’t act now.
Waikato Expressway sections like Hamilton and Huntly are safe because the design and construction contracts have already been signed, sealed, and delivered.
After the individual contracts are set, the Government has no ability to halt construction. Cambridge to Piarere, however, is a different story.
NZTA committed to the Cambridge to Piarere project but no contracts have been awarded for the later stages.
At the moment, the Labour-led Government can simply choose to leave a completed investigation unfunded and spend the money elsewhere, or do a lesser version other than the four-laning required for an expressway.
The Cambridge to Piarere extension would cost about $450 million, which is a fair and vitally important investment in our region from 2020-2023.
We are very concerned the new Government refuses to commit to these extensions, preferring to talk about plans they have for Auckland such as rail to the airport. We are 9 per cent of the population and we should receive our share of the transport budget.
The Waikato did receive our share over the last nine years thanks largely to the Waikato Expressway, which is our region’s largest infrastructure project.
As the expressway is nearing completion, the Government should be able to fund new projects and maintain a fair level of funding.
The Waikato Regional Transport Plan already recognises Cambridge to Piarere as being critically important and it is the most logical next project.
If you would like to lend your support, please sign the petition by calling in to the Electorate Office on Grey Street or going online at
www.simonbridges.national.org.nz/tauranga_to_hamilton_ expressway_extension
-David Bennet is the National MPfor Hamilton East.
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