Lawrence Yule: Government transport funding a shocker for Hawke's Bay

Tukituki MP Lawrence Yule says Hawke's Bay motorists will pay substantially more in 2018-2028 and now get substantially less than they did in 2017. Photo / File

In one fell swoop Labour Transport Minister Hon Phil Twyford has eliminated the four-laning of the Hawke's Bay Expressway from the 10-Year Transport Policy.

He has specifically excluded all routes announced by National before last year's election. Surprisingly he claimed most were in urban areas but of course many are not, including our own Expressway.

More galling he wants all motorists to pay another 9-12 cents a litre to fund the Government's new transport priorities of which very few are in our region.

So Hawke's Bay motorists pay substantially more in 2018-2028 and now get substantially less than they did in 2017. How is this fair? It is not.

The big numbers look like this. Over the 10-year period $5 billion has been taken off State Highways and $4 billion has been added to light rail proposals in Auckland. An extra $90m has been added annually to local roads nationally and there is a greater spend on safety and public transport.

The regions have been the net losers despite various current Ministers saying they are champions for regional New Zealand.

For Hawke's Bay residents you will notice we are nearing the completion of three major projects on the Heretaunga Plains.

The Whakatu Outlet, the Links Rd roundabout and the airport entranceway and roundabout.

These projects totalling over $40m will be completed this year and there are no new major projects on the books for at least three years. There are some passing lane improvements north of Napier and south of Hastings but little else.

This is why last week contractors are telling me it is very hard to run a business when the work stops and starts like it does.

Despite Phil Twyford binning our project he is obviously not aware of the predicted 50 per cent growth in freight to Napier Port in the next eight years and equally hasn't read Section 85 of his own document which states that GPS 2018 supports investment in an increased focus on regional transport including:
• developing transport connections that are crucial for linking production points with key distribution points (including routes important for exports, and those intra-regional routes critical for getting local goods to market)
• making higher risk roads and intersections safer
• improving transport connections (including local roads, public transport and active modes) that enable tourists to safely reach their destinations
• managing and responding to resilience risk on important regional roads

One can't help but think that money issues are already surfacing for the Labour coalition Government decision to introduce free student fees.

This policy alone will cost $2.8b (almost two thirds of the Auckland light rail) yet has not resulted in one extra student enrolment. While it may have been politically popular with students, try telling that to a struggling family when it is going to cost an extra $9 to fill up their car.

I am resolute following Phil Twyford's announcement that I will do all I can to get a commitment to four-lane the Expressway. Every morning and night people crawl along at a snail's pace on what is meant to be a fast-moving regional route. Until the stretch between Links Rd and Meeanee Rd is four-laned this is likely to continue.

For those that have said there are other priorities including housing and health, these are in different parts of the Government's budget. In the transport area alone Hawke's Bay has just lost a substantial investment and we are going to pay more for the privilege.

It you want to fight this please join the petition:

lawrenceyule.national.org.nz/napier_to_hastings_expressway

Lawrence Yule is MP for Tukituki.

• Views expressed here are the writer's opinion and not the newspaper's. Email: editor@hbtoday.co.nz