Brash sidelines eastern highway

National Party leader Don Brash says the party will not foist the eastern highway on Aucklanders, contradicting his transport spokesman, Maurice Williamson, who last month said it was an essential part of the motorway network.

Dr Brash yesterday said the eastern highway was not part of National's commitment to fast-track the western ring route and add-ons to Spaghetti Junction to an eight-year timetable, as requested by the Auckland Business Forum.

Last month, Mr Williamson told a Herald forum on transport that National would revive the eastern highway across Hobson Bay. It remained a crucial link for National in Auckland's roading network.

This is the second time on the election campaign that Dr Brash has been confronted with internal confusion on policy.

Two weeks ago he overrode forestry spokesman Brian Connell, denying the MP's claims that National would resume logging on the West Coast.

With Mr Williamson alongside him for the announcement of National's plan for Auckland roads, a tetchy Dr Brash was reluctant to discuss the contradictory comments: "I have made the position of the National Party very clear, okay.

"We are willing to finance the roading around the western ring route. We are willing to do the Auckland Harbour Bridge-to-city [link], we are willing to do the Newmarket Viaduct. It is a very major commitment.

"We are not committing to any other major state network in Auckland at this point."

Mr Williamson backed away from his position on the eastern highway last month, which included a statement that National would require Transit to take over the scheme as a fully state-funded highway.

Yesterday he said: "It is not a state highway and you can't just decide to do things in a local roading area by foisting it on a local authority. Yes, I'm very keen on completing parts of the eastern highway where people support it and want it to happen."

The eastern highway, which would go through the National-held seat of Epsom, has become a dead duck. It claimed the scalp last year of Auckland City mayor John Banks, who said reviving the scheme across Hobson Bay would be as pointless as "bouncing dead cats".

Even the pro-roads Auckland Business Forum has done a u-turn and abandoned the highway it promoted as essential for Auckland's economy and to relieve congestion.

National is promising to complete the business forum's roading wish-list two years earlier than Labour by shifting $600 million of petrol excise tax into roads over two terms and streamlining the Resource Management Act and other laws to speed up planning and construction.

AUCKLAND ROADING POLICIES

Labour

Spend $3.2 billion on new Auckland highway links in 10 years. Allow Transit NZ to borrow a further $1 billion.

Complete the western ring route from Manukau to Albany within 10 years. New motorway links to be "future-proofed" for rapid public transport. One-way motorway tunnel under Victoria Park in nine years, and replacement Newmarket viaduct in seven years.

New Zealand First

 Remove GST from petrol and gradually apply all remaining excise to roading and other transport infrastructure. Make highways more suitable for freight haulage. Change Resource Management Act to speed up roading projects.

National

Within eight years complete the western ring route, Victoria Park tunnel and Newmarket Viaduct.

Fund what it estimates is a $720 million shortfall in Transit NZ's Auckland highway allocation by ultimately channelling all petrol taxes into roads.

Change Resource Management Act "to prevent vexatious and frivolous objections" to new roads.

Simplify Land Transport Management Act to make it easier to attract private-sector investment.

Greens

Postpone bulk of western ring route, including Avondale motorway extension, to free money for modern electric rail system with feeder bus services to prepare for end of "cheap oil" era. Improve public transport.

Act

Complete Auckland motorway network and focus more on designing safer roads. Cancel recent 5c-a-litre petrol excise rise and spend rest of petrol taxes on roads. Greater legislative support for toll roads and private-sector investment.

United Future

Allow tolls and private-sector investment for urgently needed costly highways, but Government to remain primary funder.