Highways funding slashed in upper South Island

Government spending on highways in the top of the South Island has been slashed by more than a third for next year.

Transit New Zealand regional manager Brian Hasell said a change in criteria meant there would be no money for six major roading projects proposed in Nelson, Marlborough and Tasman.

He told a Commerce Nelson meeting that money for maintenance and new highway projects in the region was budgeted at just $11.4 million for the 2003-04 year.

That compared with $20.8 million in the 2001-02 year and $17.4 million in the 2002-03 year, he said.

The amount of funding requested nationally exceeded the amount available by about $1.2 billion.