Spotlight on transport

NATIONAL

Don Brash pledged yesterday that National would ensure all petrol tax paid by motorists went on improving roads, yielding an extra $600 million a year within six years.

Low investment in roads hurt productivity.

"Over the course of our first two terms in office, we will move all the petrol tax that goes into the consolidated fund to the National Land Transport Fund to be spent on roads."

National would divert $100 million in the first year and thereafter an extra $100 million a year, placing an extra $4 billion in the fund in nine years.

Incremental changes would avoid a blowout in construction costs.

He would not say which projects would benefit because it was "undesirable for political pressures to become the main driver for the allocation of road investment funds".

But there was a "crying need" to rapidly complete Auckland's strategic road network and the western ring road project "seemed certain" to be completed within nine years.

Three other projects also seemed certain to be finished in that time:

* $482 million Tauranga strategic roading project upgrading the network from Katikati to Te Puke.

* $214 million highways passing lane project.

* Wellington regional land transport project.

National would curb objections under the Resource Management and Land Transport Management Acts.

UNITED FUTURE

United Future's ultimate goal is the four-laning of State Highway 1 from Kaitaia to Invercargill, under its transport policy unveiled yesterday.

It wants greater provision for tolling and private partnerships and to ensure a significant proportion of fuel excise tax is earmarked for regions.

It will continue to work for completion of strategic roading networks, although it says significant progress has already occurred.

It wants better engineering and design on big roads, leading to the country-long four-laned SH1.

It wants a zero blood-alcohol level for drivers under 25 and compulsory drug-testing for drivers involved in injury accidents.

It believes open road speed limits should be reassessed.

LABOUR

Labour says:

National under-invested in roads. Labour investments will pump an extra $18.9 billion over 10 years into transport - more than doubling how much was spent on transport in 1999-2000.

A petrol tax increase will pay for $2 billion more in transport investment in 10 years.

Transport Minister Pete Hodgson says double the $546 million diverted from fuel tax into the Crown Account is spent on the transport system and - as a recent Transport Ministry survey shows - road users are not even paying their way.

"The argument around the diversion of fuel duty into the Crown account is meaningless ... shifting it around does not alter the fact that the amount shifted does not cover costs," he says.

If National wants to spend an extra $4 billion on transport over nine years it must say whether it will be taking the money from education or health.

Contrary to National's claims, resource consent applications aren't causing big delays. "He's trying to fix a problem that doesn't exist."

National's focus on building a Los Angeles-style motorway system would be a disaster.

On United Future's SH1 plan, Hodgson says we're heading towards a mainly four-lane country-long highway, although in low population areas such as Kaitaia it would be ludicrous to build four lanes.

OTHERS

What others say:

New Zealand First's policy already promises to redivert all fuel taxes away from the Crown Account.

Current policy is a disaster because it has starved key projects of funds.

The party would direct transport agencies to borrow from sources such as the Superannuation Fund to boost spending.

Act has already pledged to redivert petrol tax from Crown Account.

It will also reverse the five-cent petrol tax increase announced this week.

The Automobile Association supports moving petrol tax from Crown Account and wants all the money invested in roads.

The Greens say National wants an "elaborate asphalt jungle" choked with cars and smog.

The Transport Ministry report puts paid to National's argument that the Government uses petrol tax as a money-making scheme.

New Zealand has one of highest levels of car dependence in the world, which contributes to climate change and threatens the economy as oil shortages loom, the party says.