Media statement | 30 June 2008

Maintaining key routes  Land Transport NZ’s focus for the West Coast

Maintaining essential routes in and out of the West Coast is a key priority for the West Coast in the 2008/09 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP).

Land Transport NZ today announced $2.7 billion in transport spending for New Zealand in the 2008/09 NLTP, including $45 million allocated for investment in the West Coast’s land transport network. Of that, $25 million will be spent on road maintenance, an increase of $2 million over 2007/08. More than $7 million will be spent maintaining local roads and $17.6 million on state highways. A further $3.6 million has been allocated for road policing activities in the West Coast.

NLTP funding has been committed to progress ongoing projects in the region, including further investigation work on replacing or realigning the Gates of the Haast bridge on SH6.

Land Transport NZ Acting Southern Region Partnerships Manager Mark Yaxley says ensuring the security of key routes in the West Coast region in the face of predicted increases in tourism and freight traffic over the next decade will be challenging. An important step has been taken toward achieving this with work starting in the coming year on replacing the Arahura River road/rail bridge on SH6 north of Hokitika. The completion of this project will have considerable economic benefits for the region.

Mr Yaxley added that a study is also underway to identify potential improvements on West Coast state highways to protect critical routes from major disruption.

The following projects may also be funded during the 2008/09 year:

• road improvements in the Grey and Buller districts to enhance access to the Pike River coal mine   
• construction of walking and cycling paths into the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers
• safety improvements on one-lane sections of SH6 in the Buller Gorge
• replacement of the Goat Creek bridge on SH73

Mr Yaxley 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 2008/09 NLTP, will be available at www.landtransport.govt.nz from 6pm today.

For further information:

Mark Yaxley
Acting Partnership Manager, Southern
(03) 964 2865 or 021 437 718