A National government will build key transport connections around the country, slashing congestion, unlocking housing growth, boosting productivity and lifting incomes, National Leader Christopher Luxon says.

“National’s vision is for New Zealand to become one of the world’s leading small, advanced economies and our transport plan will help drive prosperity and lift the standard of living for all New Zealanders.

“With National’s Transport for the Future plan in place, New Zealanders will be able to get where they want to go faster and spend less time in their cars and more time doing what they love. Freight will also move more efficiently around the country, improving productivity.

“Modern infrastructure like roads, public transport networks, energy, water services, hospitals and schools are fundamental to the quality of life of all of us. National has a strong legacy of delivering key infrastructure projects from Ultra-Fast Broadband to the Waterview Tunnel, to the rebuilding of Christchurch.”

National’s Transport for the Future plan will:

• Deliver new Roads of National Significance – including four lanes from Whangārei to Tauranga, Mill Road in Auckland, Petone to Grenada and the Cross Valley Link, Belfast to Pegasus and the Woodend Bypass north of Christchurch. We will also unlock the potential of tens of thousands of new houses in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Wellington.
• Better public transport - including a rapid transit network in Auckland with transport corridors in the North West, Botany to the airport and the full Eastern busway.
• Rebuilding regions and improving resilience - including priorities for rebuilding flood and cyclone-damaged regions like Northland, East Coast and Hawke’s Bay, and upgrades to transport infrastructure in Ashburton, Queenstown, Otago and Southland.

“National understands the importance of maintaining fiscal discipline and delivering value for every taxpayer dollar we invest. That’s why we are proposing a long-term programme of investments to deliver the infrastructure New Zealand needs within the fiscal constraints that the country finds itself.

“National has already announced we will establish a National Infrastructure Agency which will coordinate government funding, connect domestic and offshore investors with New Zealand infrastructure projects, and improve funding, procurement and delivery.

“The $24 billion Transport for the Future package will be funded through reallocated money from the National Land Transport Fund, additional government investment and other innovative funding tools like value capture - where developers who benefit from new infrastructure contribute to the cost, and equity finance opportunities for local and global investors.

“A National government will rebuild the economy to reduce the cost of living, lift incomes, deliver better public services and build the infrastructure New Zealanders deserve.”

Attached: National’s Transport for the Future Policy document

https://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/2307/Transport_for_the_Future.pdf

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