Media statement | 28 June 2005

Safety and road security Land Transport NZ’s focus for Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay

Safety and road security to withstand forestry, residential and tourism growth are the focus for Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay in the 2006/07 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP).

Land Transport NZ today announced $2.3 billion in transport spending for New Zealand in 2006/07, including nearly $73 million for investment in Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay’s land transport network. This includes $57 million for maintenance of state highways and local roads and $13 million for construction of state highways and local roads.

Land Transport NZ chair Dr Jan Wright says the agency and its partners are committed to making Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay’s major routes safer and more efficient.

Most priority work under regional development in Gisborne will be completed by the end of 2007/08. This includes pavement strengthening, widening and sealing of most major access routes to production forests in the region. Funding has been committed for the continuation of major projects, including:

• Intersection improvements at the Meanee Road interchange with the Hawke’s Bay expressway, SH 50 in Taradale to improve traffic flow
• A regional development roading programme for forestry operations in Gisborne and a similar programme in Wairoa.

Projects which may be funded throughout the year include:

• Investigation of the southern extension to the Hawke’s Bay expressway to reduce delays and accidents
• Investigation of the Matahorua Gorge realignment in Hawke’s Bay to provide efficient and secure route access.

Funding for NZ Police land transport activities in the region totals $11 million. The road safety goal for the Gisborne/Hawke’s Bay region is that by 2010 fatalities and hospitalisations will be fewer than 240 per annum. There were 324 fatalities and hospitalisations due to road crashes in 2005.

Dr Wright says the activities funded through the NLTP reflect Land Transport NZ’s objective of contributing to an integrated, safe, responsive and sustainable land transport system.

“New Zealand faces huge transport challenges. The $2.3 billion allocated by this year’s NLTP will help us meet those challenges.”

Regional newsletters, a fact sheet and the NLTP book, which details all projects in the 2005/06 NLTP, will be available at www.landtransport.govt.nz from 6pm today.

For more information:

Andy Knackstedt
Land Transport NZ Media Manager
(04) 931-8822 or 0212 763 222

Ian Hunter
Partnership Manager, Central
(04) 931 8900
0274 506 966