Stop SH20 PPP & Tolls: Public Meeting Oct 8

Citizens Against Privatisation announce public meeting 7pm, Wed October 8, Wesley Community Centre, Mt Roskill

The government continues to ignore public rejection of road tolls and so-called road pricing, privatised roads, and commercialisation and privatisation of public infrastructure and services. National threatens massive spending on public private partnerships (PPPs) - for roads, schools, hospitals, prisons...

"In 1996," Rose Hollins, co-spokesperson for Citizens Against Privatisation (CAP) says, "construction of the Mt Roskill/Waterview section of SH20 was costed at only $72 million. Now, the projected tunnel price is $1.89 billion, to be built by a PPP that's been decided over the heads of the public, and followed by up to 45 years of road tolls until it's handed back, probably in poor repair, to our great grandchildren. This is a massive rip off."

The government says this PPP will be the model for many to come. In Australia, PPPs have resulted in 200% returns to investors before a toll road even opened (M2, Macquarie Bank), secret clauses in contracts to close roads and funnel drivers into toll gates, public transport spending disallowed or diverted into PPP profits.

"How many times do we have to say no, before those in power listen?" asks Rose Hollins. "Now, of all times, it's obvious that private profit is an incompetent prescription for disaster. All over the world, communities are fighting back. Sydneysiders boycotting Cross City Tunnel tolls bankrupted its consortium in months. People on the Isle of Skye battled for 9 years to get tolls off the Skye Bridge and succeeded in also outlawing road tolls throughout Scotland."

"It's up to us ordinary people to defend what's left of our public resources and public services," she concluded.

Public Meeting 7pm, Wednesday October 8, 2008 Wesley Community Centre 740 Sandringham Rd Extension Mt Roskill

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