MEDIA RELEASE

Councils seek clarity on transport direction
For immediate release on 16 March 2009

“It’s been difficult for councils to plan within a changing transport policy environment,” Lawrence Yule, President of Local Government New Zealand  said today after the release of the discussion document on the Government Policy Statement for transport by the Minister of Transport.

“The document will bring some certainty to the road and transport programming that councils are currently undertaking as part of their Long Term Council Community Plans. 

“The changes signalled in the discussion document may require significant changes to some councils’ current plans and programmes. 

“In the current economic climate, we can understand the need to refocus on economic growth and productivity through increased investment in the State Highway network.

“However, it is not clear yet how that increased level of investment will be funded. We hope that adequate incentives for continued local government investment in roads and transport will remain.

“Although the Statement will deliver an increase in investment to state highways, it currently appears that both the amount of funding and the rate of assistance to local roads are largely unchanged.

“This makes it extremely difficult for councils to respond to the government's encouragement to bring forward infrastructure spending to support the economy through the downturn,” said Mr Yule. 

Local Government New Zealand  will be co-ordinating the views of local authorities and putting them to the Minister when submissions close on 26 March 2009.
 
ENDS

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