Expressway flip-flop burns $4m
A decision to shelve National’s planned extension to the Waikato Expressway has ‘‘wasted’’ $4 million of taxpayers’ money.
But the Labour-led coalition is standing by its costly shift in priorities, saying other forms of transport need investment and a suite of safety improvements would lower risks for motorists on the notorious section of highway.
As of October 10, 2018, a total of $4.23 million plus GST had been spent on business cases and plans for the Cambridge to Piarere Long Term Improvements Project, a request made under the Official Information Act revealed.
‘‘This does not include routine main- tenance spend on this section of highway or the work being carried out improving the highway as part of the current Short Term Improvements Project,’’ senior manager system design Kevin Reid said.
National MP David Bennett didn’t mince words when commenting about the cost, criticising the current government’s cancellation of the planned extension.
‘‘It definitely has been wasted money,’’ Bennett said. ‘‘That money’s being redirected into the rail option from Auckland City to Auckland Airport. That plan is going to cost $4 billion.
‘‘[NZ Transport Agency] needed to cancel eight to 10 projects like the extension around the country – that’s the change of priorities that comes with the new government.’’
Bennett said National grilled the Transport Agency at parliamentary select committee recently, where NZTA confirmed the shift in vision was in fact the case.
‘‘The big loss for the Waikato is that we’re going to be paying fuel taxes for a train in Auckland, not even a road,’’ he said. ‘‘The second thing is that we had all these construction staff and industry ready to go on the next part of the project in 2020. Now all of that construction capacity has got nothing to go to in the Waikato region, so that’s a loss of jobs and a loss of opportunities for Waikato businesses.’’
But Labour MP Jamie Strange, who is based in Hamilton, stood firm on the government’s decision, which he said entailed shifting funds from the Waikato Expressway and other Roads of National Significance to areas such as road safety improvements, rail, coastal shipping and public transport.
‘‘We believe that we need to invest in all forms of transport, rather than just roading,’’ Strange said. ‘‘I am confident, that at this stage for the Piarere extension, by putting in a roundabout and median barriers, that will see significant safety improvements on that stretch of road.’’ He said under the previous government, $20 billion was spent on just 350 kilometres of four-laning of highways. The Waikato Expressway has been one such road.
‘‘It’s been wonderful for our region getting the Waikato Expressway, but I can understand why other regions around the country would like a bigger slice of the pie,’’ Strange said.
Piarere has been a notorious black spot for crashes and the government wants to improve safety at the busy intersection.