The eye-watering cost of the Waitematā cycle bridge could balloon out even further despite overwhelming public opposition to the project as it stands, National’s Associate Transport spokesperson Christopher Luxon says.

“In 2017 Labour promised to build the SkyPath crossing for $30 million. The latest version of this project has already cost taxpayers more than that without breaking any ground.

“So far the planned cycle bridge has cost $37 million, with $20 million spent on consultants alone over the past two financial years.

“The cycle bridge now has a price tag of $785 million, and today Transport Minister Michael Wood could not rule out the final cost being significantly higher.

“Aucklanders are stuck in gridlock. Rural roads are in disrepair. NZTA and councils don’t even have enough to maintain our roads across the country. Our most dangerous state highways are missing out on critical safety improvements.

“Meanwhile, the Labour Government is throwing the better part of a billion dollars at an ideological vanity project that the majority of New Zealanders oppose.

“We have no confidence Labour will even be able to build the cycle bridge; it couldn’t deliver SkyPath in its first term and National isn’t convinced the latest version will even make it off the plans, wasting more taxpayer money.

“The Government should shift its focus from forging ahead with a deeply unpopular cycle bridge and telling people what cars they can and can’t ‘legitimately’ drive, to investing in projects that will boost productivity or meaningfully improve the lives of New Zealanders.

“Labour continues to show it is completely out of touch with the priorities of Kiwis.”

Notes to editors:

· Labour’s commitment in 2017 to spend up to $30 million to build SkyPath can be found here.

· Total Northern Pathway spend to February 2021 was $37,588,313: WPQ 6674 (2021).

· Consultant spend on the Northern Pathway over 2019/20 and 2020/21 was $20,037,368 – see WPQ 23845 (2021) attached.

https://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/2106/WPQ_23845_Attachment.pdf

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