ZB ZB
Live now
Start time
Playing for
End time
Listen live
Listen to NAME OF STATION
Up next
Listen live on
ZB

PM denies U-turn on Northland bridges

Author
Newstalk ZB Staff,
Publish Date
Wed, 1 Jul 2015, 5:17AM
John Key campaigning during the Northland by-election (Getty Images)
John Key campaigning during the Northland by-election (Getty Images)

PM denies U-turn on Northland bridges

Author
Newstalk ZB Staff,
Publish Date
Wed, 1 Jul 2015, 5:17AM

Northland MP and New Zealand First MP Winston Peters has castigated the government over a new development in plans to build new bridges in his electorate.

The government promised 10 new bridges would be built during this year's by-election campaign. However the New Zealand Transport Agency has only approved funding for four of them, and recommended funding not be approved for three.

Peters said the Prime Minister and his government need to explain why they misled voters and "told them blatant lines, without any costing, any engineering and any approval from the authority that would build the bridges in the first place."

Prime Minister John Key played down suggestions the government has backtracked on their by-election promise, as it was always going to be a long-term project.

Minister of Transport Simon Bridges said most of the bridges look likely, and indicates the government will step in on the three that don't.

"Look we'll assess our options but certainly one of them is to Crown fund them," Bridges said.

The Mayor of the Far North, however, is grateful for any funding they can get from the government.

Recent National MP and current Mayor John Carter agreed it was always going to be a long term project.

He said the funding was more than what the council could do alone as it was "50% of our budget, so it's really important to us."

"It's a partnership, government recognise that and so do local government."

Carter believes they will follow through, saying "the timetable they've got is fine, quite honestly."

"I mean obviously we'd love to have a four-lane highway from the Cape down to Auckland, but that's just not realistic."

 

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you