Headline: $3 billion duplicate motorway a waste of public money
Building a $3 billion duplicate motorway on a route with declining traffic volumes is an enormous waste of public money
The National Government is continuing its wasteful attitude towards public money by pushing ahead the Transmission Gully Public-Private Partnership, Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said today.
Prime Minister John Key has announced that construction of the Transmission Gully project could begin in the second half of 2014. New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) figures show the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) would cost the Crown $120-$130 million per year for 25 years, or over $3 billion. NZTA figures also show that traffic volumes on the route are declining. Official Government projections obtained by the Green Party forecast a total of 200 million vehicle journeys on the route in the 25 years it is a PPP – a cost of $15 per vehicle movement.
“Building a $3 billion duplicate motorway on a route with declining traffic volumes is an enormous waste of public money,” said Ms Genter.
“Even on the Government’s own, highly optimistic, traffic forecasts, the Transmission Gully PPP will cost the taxpayer $15 per vehicle trip for quarter of a century. That’s a huge subsidy from taxpayers for a select group of drivers.
“Transmission Gully just doesn’t add up. It has already cost taxpayers $60 million. Traffic volumes have fallen by 5% in recent years and show no sign of rising. Why would we build a $3 billion duplicate motorway on a route where traffic volumes are falling?
“The Greens are committed to building value-for-money transport infrastructure that lessens New Zealand’s dependence on expensive, imported oil. Wellington is already a leader in public transport, and we will build on that success by providing more alternatives to driving.
“On the other hand, official figures show that National’s Transmission Gully would slash patronage of the existing Kapiti rail line and funnel more road traffic into the already congested Wellington Urban Motorway.
“New Zealanders have a stark choice when it comes to transport. National’s vision of uneconomic motorways that make central city congestion worse and increase our national oil bill, or the Green plan for smart, green, affordable transport,” said Ms Genter.
Ms Genter dismissed National’s claim that Transmission Gully would aid Wellington’s resilience in an earthquake
“Is a $3 billion highway along a fault-line really the best form of earthquake insurance? Transmission Gully’s utility as a backup would only become relevant in an exceptional scenario where all the other roads and ports are blocked but it isn’t. If National is serious about improving Wellington’s earthquake preparedness, it would invest in fixing dangerous buildings instead,” said Ms Genter.
Additional information:
Payments from Crown to PPP consortium for Transmission Gully – $120m-$130m pa
Forecast average traffic volumes on TG each year it is a PPP
Traffic counters on State Highway 1 that will be duplicated by Transmission Gully
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