Media statement

For immediate release
Friday, 16 April 2004

Dunne: Transmission Gully’s time has come!

United Future leader and Ohariu-Belmont MP, Peter Dunne, tonight called for the dithering over the proposed Transmission Gully motorway route north of Wellington to come to a screeching halt and for work to begin to make it a reality.

“Transit NZ today put a price of $830 million on the project – an astonishing leap from the mid-90’s when it was costed at $245 million – but the real point is that it’s now time to cease the endless calculations and start doing the real work,” he said.

“I believe – and I believe the Government must show some leadership by stating plainly – that the Gully project should be selected as the preferred option for the benefit of the whole Horowhenua-Wairarapa-Wellington region and we should now get on with working out how to fund it and how to make it a reality.

“The Government, with the active help of United Future, has now put in place funding legislation that makes it entirely possible, indeed much easier, to meet the costs of the project. It’s time to stop mucking around!

“The Government has demonstrated this week that it’s willing to use millions of taxpayer dollars to retain yachting berths for wealthy Aucklanders.

“Well it’s now time to provide some benefit to the people of the lower North Island by making sure they have a stable infrastructure to get themselves to work and their goods to market,” said Mr Dunne.

ends

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