Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller says the current Minister of Transport is 'washing his hand hands of responsibility when it comes to the fate of key roading projects in NZ”.
Todd, along with National Party Transport Spokesperson Jami-Lee Ross, believes Phil Twyford is 'meddling with key regional roading projects, putting them along with the safety and economic benefits they bring at risk”.
'In government, we committed to roads like the Tauranga Northern Link because it was the best way to save lives and to support the growth of our region,” says Todd.
'The Tauranga Northern Link would be a 6.8km stretch of continuous four lane median divided expressway with a grade separated interchange located at Minden Road, with on and off ramps in each direction. It would include a new bridge crossing the Wairoa River and an underpass under both Wairoa Road and Cambridge Road.
'This road won't just increase capacity and improve journey times. NZTA also say it will reduce death and serious injury by 50 per cent - so why is the Minister sitting on his hands?
'I personally invited the Minister to come and drive the road with me – to see it as our community see's it – but he didn't even bother writing back, even though he was in Tauranga last week,” says Todd.
'Phil Twyford must now give certainty to the people of Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty on whether he believes this road is still on the government's agenda.”
Further north, Jami-Lee says they now have confirmation that Phil Twyford told Northern Mayors that the Whangarei to Wellsford Road of National Significance is no longer on the government's agenda.
'This follows Tywford's intervention to scrap the East-West Link and his decision to move funding into a tram set for Auckland.
'This is a Minister who is perfectly happy to involve himself in decisions about regional roads when it happens to be a road he doesn't like, so he needs to now provide certainty about key regional roads that would help save lives and support the economic growth of our regions.
'Communities up and down the country are now waiting on this Minister to make up his mind about whether his government will continue supporting them or whether he is too focused on trams in Auckland.”
SunLive has approached Phil Twyford's office for comment and is awaiting the minister's response.
13 comments
Prove it
Posted on 24-04-2018 16:18 | By Told you
How does Todd know what is planned for the roads around Tauranga has he forgotten he is not in power anymore, we have not had a statement from the Government what is to happen in this area,lets just wait and see instead of bleating on what should be done.
Talk to your leader
Posted on 24-04-2018 18:13 | By backofthequeue
The real question is why the National government did nothing about the Northern Link for nine years. Their priority to undertake the tolled Eastern Link for the benefit of a select group of landowners is a question Mr Muller would obviously rather avoid.
Talk to your leader
Posted on 24-04-2018 18:32 | By backofthequeue
The real question is why the National government did nothing about the Northern Link for nine years. Their priority to undertake the tolled Eastern Link for the benefit of a select group of landowners is a question Mr Muller would obviously rather avoid. Distract, distort, disrupt - the three basic principles of opposition party protocol. Say cheese...
National had nine years
Posted on 24-04-2018 18:46 | By SML
to get the TNL going - with Simon Bridges as Transport Minister for a goodly amount of that. And Labour is suppose to get it done in six months? Pull the other one - it squirts whisky!
Oh No
Posted on 24-04-2018 19:13 | By Merlin
Oh No not again Todd after nine years of doing nothing on this road.By the way the Minister does not have to jump when you say so you are in opposition you know.You did not advance this when you had a chance instead of saying you were going to do it then did nothing except put it up for election votes.
Oh really Todd????
Posted on 24-04-2018 19:29 | By Bruja
How come your lot couldn't sort it then?....you had TEN LONG YEARS!!! Go away, you are simply, pathetically, politicking. :(
Phils office
Posted on 24-04-2018 20:01 | By MISS ADVENTURE
They wont answer, cant argue the truth away even with dreams and fairy tails.
Hypocrites
Posted on 24-04-2018 23:36 | By waxing
Excuse me, where was the Nats' commitment to a Tauranga Northern Link or indeed to anything to make it safer? Nothing happened even when Bridges was Minister of Transport. And why was Whangarei to Wellsford a road of National Significance overriding other regional needs? Nothing to do with the Nats winning seats in the north surely? And how nice to have a new minister that gives some sensible priorities to things rather than building more and more roads that traffic numbers have outgrown by the time they're open. Todd Muller you are a better man than to get involved in this old National Party stuff.
So why
Posted on 25-04-2018 00:42 | By Centurion
didn't the previous Transport Minister get off his hands (or backside) and do something about it? Come on Todd, stop bleating.
Twitford
Posted on 25-04-2018 07:47 | By Johnney
Labour deliberately irk this region because its Simons and Todds patch. If these two keep debating the merits of this it takes away all the publicity around all the other things Labour is mishandling.
Oh I'm so virtuous...
Posted on 25-04-2018 11:21 | By penguin
...Muller at his hypocritical pompous best, yet again!
SH2 Northern Link
Posted on 07-05-2018 09:22 | By socantor01
The main reason Labour will do nothing about a Northern Link is that there are no votes in it for them...
Keep it up Todd
Posted on 11-05-2018 12:56 | By Merlin
You are highlighting that you did nothing in nine years even with the Transport Minister a local MP.Being in opposition is hard to get a handle on isn't it.
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