“There are plenty of areas around New Zealand that need infrastructure investment.
“You’ve been one of the lucky few with roading investments, which nearly always move the dial.’’
Speaking about the feasibility study suggesting the Wairoa-Gisborne rail line could have a freight future, Mr Bridges said his issue was whether the funding would have greater effect in Tairawhiti if spent elsewhere.
National ‘‘would like to consider” having a water infrastructure fund directed at the productive sector and people living in Gisborne city.
The matter would be “firmed up” in election year (next year).
“I’ve said many times I’m an infrastructure guy who wants to be in the party and government of infrastructure who gets New Zealand going.’’
A National Government would have three priorities — education, health and infrastructure.
While in Gisborne Mr Bridges spoke to Gisborne Chamber of Commerce, visited EIT Tairawhiti and attended the School 4 Climate Change protest march.
He said he was not a climate change sceptic.
His worry was that Labour and the Greens would move in a “fast and extreme way” which would cause problems for middle New Zealand and regional New Zealand.
The country needed to clean up waterways and reduce methane emissions
But real solutions such as bio-technology were needed.
National liked the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill and had held discussions with the Government over it.
The sticking points were around economic effects and the methane reduction target ‘‘which I don’t think are in line with the science or economics”.
National wanted to add realism and pragmatism to the Bill, including not affecting food production as stated in the Paris Agreement.
Gisborne had an exciting future.
His vision for the region was as a place with strong infrastructure, training of young people and ensuring businesses had confidence to invest ’’and do things”.
EIT Tairawhiti was doing good work upskilling young people, Mr Bridges said.
