The Government could save more than $1 billion by shelving its Puhoi to Wellsford motorway extension plan and instead installing a rail link with Marsden Point and upgrading State Highway 1 from Puhoi to Whangarei.
That's the view of councillor Aaron Edwards, who has joined his Whangarei District Council colleague councillor Brian McLachlan in calling on the Government to take a new look at the $1.7 billion motorway extension plan and instead put money into ensuring the Northland rail line is retained.
Mr McLachlan had earlier said he wanted Whangarei MP Phil Heatley to re-examine motorway funding while the KiwiRail turnaround plan was proposing to close the North Auckland rail line. Mr Heatley last week supported both the motorway extension and Marsden Pt rail link, saying Northland needed both and advising councillors not to "trade away road-building to get rail-building".
Mr Edwards, a certified engineering technician, said yesterday it was disappointing the MP was still promoting Puhoi to Wellsford four-laning. "This project has been proven uneconomic by the New Zealand Transport Agency's own benefit cost ratio," he said.
"The Government needs to start thinking of SH1 north of Auckland as a complete transport corridor from Auckland to Whangarei and on to the Bay of Islands, not a motorway that stops short of the Northland region."