Media statement | 26 June 2007

Safety and maintenance Land Transport NZ’s focus for the West Coast

Improving safety and maintaining critical routes in and out of the region are the focus for the West Coast in the 2007/08 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP).

Land Transport NZ today announced $2.4 billion in transport spending for New Zealand in 2007/08, including $33 million for investment in the West Coast’s land transport network. A total of $22 million has been allocated for the maintenance of the West Coast region’s roads and state highways.

Land Transport NZ Acting Chair Paul Fitzharris says the agency and its partners are committed to making the West Coast’s major routes safer and more efficient. As part of this effort construction is expected to begin  this year on the replacement Arahura road-rail bridge north of Hokitika.

“Funding has also been committed for further investigation work on the Gates of Haast bridge replacement/realignment. Among other things this will cover extensive geotechnical investigations that will assist with emergency works and potential future bridge replacement,” he said.

Land Transport NZ funding for the region in the past year has enabled the successful completion of:

•  the realignment of Millerton Track to improve access and safety to Millerton and the Stockton coal mine
• seal extensions to the Pike River coal mine road.

Projects that may be approved during the year include:

• road improvements in the Grey district including enhancing access to the Pike River coal mine and widening and strengthening of the Atarau Road
• stock effluent disposal facilities at SH 6 near Reefton and SH 73 near Otira.

The Road Safety to 2010 Strategy goal for the West Coast region is that by 2010 fatalities and hospitalisations will be fewer than 70 per annum. There were four fatalities and 76 hospitalisations due to road crashes in the region in 2006. Funding for road policing activities to help reach the 2010 target in the West Coast region is $3.41 million for 2007/08.

Mr Fitzharris said a new element  in this year’s NLTP is the inclusion for the first time of community focused activities, including road safety and sustainability initiatives. This change means the planning and funding of these activities can now be integrated with the delivery of other NLTP activities.

Mr Fitzharris 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.

Regional newsletters, a fact sheet and the NLTP book, which details all projects in the 2007/08 NLTP, will be available at www.landtransport.govt.nz from 6pm today.

For further information:

Jackie Curtis
Partnership Manager, Southern
(03) 964 2866 or 027 249 9566