Wellington, February 3, 2020
Last time I looked at a map of New Zealand, it was made up of two main islands – one in the north and one in the south.
I don’t know what maps the Prime Minister has in her office, but if her recent infrastructure announcement was anything to go by, then the South Island must be missing from most of them.
It says a lot about the Government’s priorities when it spends $3.48 billion on projects for Auckland and less than $250 million on the entire South Island.
That is crumbs when you are talking infrastructure.
Jacinda Ardern has forgotten there are more parts of New Zealand in dire need of new and improved roads than just Auckland.
Canterbury needs overlooked
In Canterbury, people are crying out for a new motorway between Belfast and Pegasus with a bypass at Woodend, which is rapidly growing in size.
The people living there don’t feel safe crossing SH1 to get to school or catch the bus, and this Government isn’t delivering for them.
The Government has also ignored the fact SH1 between Ashburton and Christchurch is the second-most dangerous stretch of road in New Zealand for fatalities and serious injuries.
Nelson, Marlborough, Tasman, the West Coast and rural Canterbury all completely missed out on funding, and when it comes to the Deep South the only part the Prime Minister seems to have heard of is Queenstown.
Regional New Zealand got the short end of the stick.
There was little-to-nothing for Taranaki, Waikato, Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne – the list goes on.
Productive New Zealand
These are productive parts of the country that, in many cases, are experiencing strong population and visitor growth. They need better infrastructure to preserve their way of life and keep their local economies thriving, just like Auckland does.
Not only do they need better infrastructure but they need it now; and here is where National and Labour differ on this stuff – National is the Party that actually builds things.
It is easy to announce a big project but a lot harder to deliver it.
These things need to be consulted on, consented and designed in such a way that gets maximum value for the taxpayer. This takes a lot of time, skill and effort.
National’s record
National’s track record on delivering infrastructure is as solid as the new highways that Kiwis drove on during their summer break. The Waterview Tunnel, Waikato expressway, Tauranga Eastern Link, Christchurch Southern motorway and Kapiti Expressway were just some of the projects delivered by the previous Government.
The Christchurch rebuild, ultra-fast broadband and City Rail Link also happened under National because we have the drive and expertise to get things done.
Labour’s record on delivery isn’t so hot. It had years in Opposition to plot its KiwiBuild programme and figure out how to deliver 100,000 houses in a decade, only to give up after little more than a year when things got tough.
Auckland’s light rail has not fared much better with Transport Minister Phil Twyford making a complete hash of the Prime Minister’s promise to have it built between the city and Mt Roskill by 2021. On current pace, it’s unlikely to be built this decade.
Unlike Labour, National is the party of infrastructure and we will deliver. We won’t forgot about the New Zealanders who are working hard and paying taxes outside our city limits.
Dr Parmjeet Parmar is a Member of Parliament on National List and the Party’s Spokesperson for Research, Science and Innovation.
