Wednesday, 8 March 2006

Dunne: Transmission Gully decision a brilliant result

United Future leader and Ohariu-Belmont MP, Peter Dunne, has hailed today's decision concerning the building of the Transmission Gully motorway 'a brilliant result' for the people of the lower North Island.

Mr Dunne, who has campaigned for the Gully route north of Wellington for the past 15 years, says the recommendation by the Wellington Regional Council's hearing sub-committee to scrap plans for upgrading the coastal highway in favour of building a four-lane highway through Transmission Gully, says all the arguing is now over and it's time for the work to begin immediately.

"I now expect the Government to honour the pledge it made in the confidence and supply agreement with United Future after the last election concerning the Gully route."

The agreement says: "The government has also agreed that central government funding which is available for the specific Wellington regional programme will be able to be used to fund a highway through Transmission Gully if that is deemed to be the preferred option at the end of the current evaluation programme."

Mr Dunne said, "The sub-committee's decision means local body leaders in the Wellington and Wairarapa regions must put aside their narrow interests and recognise that this is what the overwhelming majority of the people of the lower North Island want."

ENDS

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