5 December 2013

Government Railroading Basin Reserve Flyover

UnitedFuture leader and Ōhariu MP Peter Dunne says the Government met is railroading unreasonably the timeframe for the Board of Inquiry into the proposed Basin Reserve flyover.

The Government publicly notified the project and called for submissions on 10 August 2013, with a final decision due by 30 May 2014.

“The time frame for the preparation of submissions and rebuttal statements is very tight over the summer holiday period between 16 December and 10 January.

“It is unreasonable to expect submitters to be able to pay detailed attention to the issues being raised over this time, and the Government knows that,” he says.

The Minister for the Environment has now refused an approach to vary the timetable to extend the rebuttal period until the end of February 2014, with a final decision extended two months to 1 August.

“This is an important issue for Wellington, whatever individual views there might be, and given the profound environmental and other implications of the proposed flyover, a two month extension to the Board of Inquiry process can hardly be held to be unreasonable.

“The inference to be drawn from the Minister’s timetable is that the outcome is essentially predetermined, and the Board process is largely perfunctory.

“I think that is regrettable and unwise, and that the Minister would be well-advised to reconsider the proposed two-month extension, in the interests of a better process and all-round outcome,” Mr Dunne says.

Ends

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