The recent Government Policy Statement (GPS) for transport shifts focus from state highways to road safety and public transport.
Although these goals are undisputed, the reality is that the state highway network is our lifeline and also the area most needing safety improvements. We need state highway funding.
Hamilton has grown in recent years due to the link with Auckland. The $2 billion Waikato Expressway has kick-started our growth and the next steps are to link with Tauranga through the state highway network namely the $400-$500 million extension of the Waikato Expressway from Cambridge to Piarere.
This project is at real risk of being dropped under these new priorities. Instead funds from our region will be diverted to pay for Auckland public transport initiatives.
The state highway network sees a substantial reduction in funding from its current $1.55b per year to $500m per year. In comparison, public transport increases from $530m to $830m in that time and mass transit solutions start at $340m and peak at over $1b in three years' time.