Hon Roger Sowry MP
National Party Transport Spokesman

22 August 2003

Auckland roading projects need coordination

"The costs of completing Auckland's roading network will continue to blow out until there is a single Transport Control Authority in charge," says National Party Transport spokesman Roger Sowry.

He's commenting on reports that costs for the Eastern Corridor could blowout to as much as $3 billion from an original estimate of just half a billion dollars, a five fold increase.

"This complex project can't be done with multiple public bodies competing to shift responsibility.

"It can't be done while no one has control and no one has to manage the risk.

"I predict there will be more blowouts because no one has a reason to contain the costs," Mr Sowry says.

"Auckland gridlock is costing our economy more than a billion dollars a year and we've known that for a long time now.

"Yet there's been no substantial improvement.

"The Government's been making up its transport policy in an ad hoc way for too long.

"We were told the 4c a litre petrol tax increase of last year would solve the problem - but it hasn't.

"Instead we find out today that Labour's forming another committee to look at the issue - when one authority with an overall plan a proper budget and accountability is really what's needed," Mr Sowry says.

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