30 October 2013

Dunne Hails Transmission Gully Announcement

UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne has hailed today’s announcement by the Prime Minister that construction of the Transmission Gully Highway as the “beginning of the end of 75 years uncertainty for the Wellington region.”

The Ōhariu MP, who fronted the “Do It Now” petition on Transmission Gully in 1999 (which achieved more than 25,000 signatures in just a few weeks) and who introduced a Members’ Bill in 2001 to build the Highway, says today’s announcement honours a key provision of the National/UnitedFuture confidence and supply agreement that Transmission Gully be built as a public private partnership.

“I am naturally delighted that work will begin next year, and that the Highway will be operational by 2020 – it puts an end to all those doubts people kept expressing about whether it would ever be built in their lifetimes,” he says.

Mr Dunne says Transmission Gully was first proposed as a highway route in 1939 (although it had been suggested as a rail corridor as early as 1906) so the announcement of construction starting next year brings a conclusion to 75 years of debate in Wellington about improvements to its northern access and egress.

“I have been delighted to work with the last two governments as a confidence and supply partner to get to the point of today’s announcement.

“I cannot wait to be present at the turning of the first sod,” he says.

ENDS

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