Govt earmarks $1.4b for South in new transport plan

Transport Minister Simeon Brown. Photo: RNZ

The National Land Transport Programme for the next three years has a hard focus on more state highways, road maintenance, and greater public transport in the country's main cities.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced the programme alongside the New Zealand Transport Agency in Wellington on Monday afternoon, and didn't mince his words on the Coalition's new focus.

"There's less money going into cycleways, and I think New Zealanders are sick and tired of the amount of money going into cycleways."

He said the move away from prioritising public transport was in the coalition agreement with New Zealand First with the new focus being put on "economic growth and productivity".

Brown said National campaigned on 17 roads of national significance, which were being delivered on.

NZTA chief executive Nicole Rosie acknowledged it would be "challenging to deliver everything within the confines of our budgeted funding" but that the agency was "up for the challenge".

A total of $1.4 billion is forecast to be invested in Otago and Southland, including:

• $313m in maintenance operations investment

• $562m to prevent potholes on state highways and local roads

• $333m to deliver state highway and local road improvements

• $125m in public transport investment

The key projects forecast to be funded in the South are:

• Queenstown package: Progressing corridor improvements along SH6 and SH6A, and SH6 Frankton Flats network improvements

• Resealing and rehabilitation works on 934km of state highway.

• Central city changes to Dunedin's SH1 and SH88

• Resilience improvements on SH1 Kakanui River and SH1 Waikaouaiti

• Work to build greater resilience into SH6 from Cromwell to Frankton, Frankton to Kingston, and Haast to Hawea

• Replace the culvert at Shepherds Hut Creek between Queenstown and Glenorchy

• Replace 17 bridges on local roads

• Implement bus priority along Dunedin’s Princes Street

The programme has $32.9 billion of investment nationally, which has four key priorities:

• Delivers on the coalition agreements to reintroduce the successful Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme, with a pipeline of 17 RoNS across the country

• Gets back to basics, focusing on maintenance and pothole prevention to reduce the number of potholes on our roads

• Supports reliable public transport services and delivers four new major public transport projects to increase travel choices in our main cities

• Ensures councils are doing the basics brilliantly, with increased pothole prevention, reduced funds for cycleways, and no funds for speed bumps

Brown said New Zealanders "rejected the previous government's transport policies which resulted in non-delivery, phantom projects, slower speed limits, and an infestation of speed bumps".

"The government is turning this around with record investment in transport projects that reduce travel times, improve public transport options, and build and maintain our roading network to the safe and reliable standard Kiwis expect.

"I'm pleased to see that this NLTP adopted by the NZ Transport Agency board, which boosts funding by 35 percent compared to the last three years, strongly reflects our government's priorities of economic growth and productivity, increased maintenance and resilience, safety, and value for money.

"Kiwis will see fewer potholes on our roads as we invest significantly in resealing, rehabilitation, and drainage maintenance to prevent pesky potholes from forming in the first place."

Brown said $6.4b would be invested in completing and undertaking the following public transport and infrastructure projects.

• Completion of the City Rail Link

• Eastern Busway

• Northwest Rapid Transit Corridor

• Airport to Botany Busway

• Lower North Island Rail Integrated Mobility

In response to whether it was fair that walking and cycling funding had been halved, Brown said a lot of money had been spent on "nice-to-haves" and the new programme was about "getting back to basics" and focussing on road maintenance.

Funds for the NLTP is collected from fuel excise duty, road user charges, vehicle registration and driver licensing fees.

The Roads of National Significance listed in the NLTP are:

• Alternative to Brynderwyns

• Whangārei to Port Marsden

• Warkworth to Wellsford

• Cambridge to Piarere

• Tauriko West State Highway 29

• Mill Road

• East West Link

• Hamilton Southern Links

• Petone to Grenada Link Road and the Cross Valley Link

• North West Alternative State Highway (SH16)