$2 billion wasted on Waterview

The backwards-looking Waterview connection will be even more costly than advertised by the Government said the Green Party today.

Minister of Transport Steven Joyce said last year that the project would only cost $1-1.4 billion, but today announced that at least $2 billion will be available for the project.

“The Waterview connection is a waste of at least $2 billion of precious tax payer money on a bad project that is left over from the 1950s,” said local Green Party MP David Clendon.

“Pouring billions of dollars into a few kilometres of motorway and destroying a well-established community is the exact opposite of what we should be doing.

“It will lower property values and attract more cars into the city, condemning Auckland to more congestion and higher transport costs.”

The project will also be hard on the local community - who will lose precious parks and suffer from increased air and noise pollution. Children at the local Waterview Primary School will play on school fields right next to a motorway onramp that will carry up to 90,000 vehicles per day.

“With the Emissions Trading Scheme coming in today and oil prices trending upwards, this is the time to be providing Aucklanders with a viable and affordable alternative to the car,” said Mr Clendon.

“We need a sustainable vision for the future —the planned CBD rail loop from Britomart to Mt Eden would achieve many more benefits for less money and transform Auckland into a world class city with a 21st century transport system.

“Around the world cities are stimulating economic revitalisation by removing their urban motorways and creating liveable, vibrant neighbourhoods where there are better options for getting around and doing business.

“It’s not too late for this Government to show some leadership and stop throwing more money into an outdated and expensive project that won’t solve our transport problems.”

ENDS

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