Media Release – for immediate release
2 September 2011
Connecting New Zealand strategy welcomed
The release of the government’s 10-year transport plan, Connecting New Zealand, has been welcomed as an essential strategy that will provide certainty for the country’s productive sector.
Federation chief executive Jeremy Sole said the integrated strategy gives all transport modes confidence that a
long-term plan is in place to accommodate increases in freight volumes and population.
“This provides the ability to understand government thinking. We hope that, at a high level, this plan can endure
successive governments over the coming decade. If it does then it will boost business confidence and planning among
designers, constructors and the entire productive sector.
Mr Sole said every business relying on the country’s transport infrastructure systems to move goods and provide services
would now be able to initiate long-term planning scenarios with more certainty.
“And, for members of NZCF, who are the people charged with building and maintaining our transport networks, this
announcements provides the platform for more informed resource planning. That will help to grow the economy,
productivity and GDP.”
The 10-year plan announced by Transport Minister Steven Joyce, a summary of the government’s proposed transport
direction for transport for the next decade, includes a $36 billion investment in road and a $4.6 billion investment in
rail.
ENDS