Transport Minister Michael Wood left the dollar signs out of his press satement when declaring that the Hamilton Section of the Waikato Expressway has opened, marking the final chapter of a 30 year roading project.
It was terrific to see the last 22-kilometre piece of the Expressway “falling into place”, he enthused. This reflects somewhat curiously on the work of the engineers and construction gangs.
The road connects Auckland to the agriculture and business centres of the Waikato and would improve economic growth and productivity in the region.
The full 102km Waikato Expressway will also reduce travel times between Auckland and Tirau by 35 minutes for approximately 20,000 vehicles a day.
The Hamilton section is the biggest roading project in Waikato’s history and runs from Ngāruawāhia in the north to the existing Tamahere interchange south of Hamilton.
Work on the earlier sections of the Waikato Expressway began in the 1990s and the road (Wood says) will be one of the safest in the country.
Wood said The Waikato Expressway was funded though the National Land Transport Fund, with funding for each section applied for as they progressed through their stages, from pre-implementation through to construction.
But – would you believe – he did not mention the cost.
We turned to Stuff for our information and learned the cost of the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway was $837 million.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins kept the cost out of his press statement, too, when banging on about New Zealand’s connections with Asia and Latin America being set to grow thanks to 30 groups, made up of 387 New Zealanders, being awarded Prime Minister’s scholarships.
Twenty-one groups were awarded scholarships for programmes in Asia and nine for programmes in Latin America. A full list of successful groups can be found here.
The Hamilton section is the biggest roading project in Waikato’s history and runs from Ngāruawāhia in the north to the existing Tamahere interchange south of Hamilton.
Work on the earlier sections of the Waikato Expressway began in the 1990s and the road (Wood says) will be one of the safest in the country.
Wood said The Waikato Expressway was funded though the National Land Transport Fund, with funding for each section applied for as they progressed through their stages, from pre-implementation through to construction.
But – would you believe – he did not mention the cost.
We turned to Stuff for our information and learned the cost of the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway was $837 million.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins kept the cost out of his press statement, too, when banging on about New Zealand’s connections with Asia and Latin America being set to grow thanks to 30 groups, made up of 387 New Zealanders, being awarded Prime Minister’s scholarships.
Twenty-one groups were awarded scholarships for programmes in Asia and nine for programmes in Latin America. A full list of successful groups can be found here.
“New Zealand is reconnecting with the world, and for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, New Zealanders will embark on a range of programmes in Asia and Latin America,” Chris Hipkins said.
“Successful programmes range from a nine-week internship and entrepreneurship programme in Taiwan, to a four-week agribusiness programme in Colombia and a six-week food innovation study tour in Indonesia.”
In contrast, the sums involved were highlighted in two ministerial statements today.
Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash announced an outfit called Crankworx will receive up to $8.1 million from the Government’s Major Events Fund to support the delivery of six Crankworx Rotorua mountain bike events. These include the Grand Finale in November 2022 and the return of Rotorua hosting the first stop on the Crankworx World Tour from 2023–2027.
It will also secure the future of up to 24 Summer Series events, hosted across the South Island, after a successful launch in 2021.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced a $10 million investment in the conservation of Pacific crop seeds impacted by climate change.
This is the first investment from the recently boosted $1.3 billion climate aid fund.
The $10 million will be allocated to the Fiji based Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT), which since 1998 has been conserving the regions collections of 17 crops including yam, coconut and 70 percent of the world’s taro varieties.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
3 comments:
They finally admit to a cost of living crisis but continue to give away the taxpayers money like a drunken sailor.
How is a gift of $10 million to a Fiji based organisation about to help New Zealand's economy? How does a $1.3 billion gift to a climate aid fund help New Zealand"s economy? Climate change is nothing but a scam. The PM accuses the UN of being morally bankrupt so why are the labour cult giving them $1.3 billion plus?
Michael Wood, travel a bit further south on SH1 around Putaruru/Tokoroa where our national highway is literally 'falling to bits'. Destroyed a brand new tyre there last Friday at the 3rd major pot hole we hit with great force. No signs, no cones, no warnings, pouring with rain. In just once place south of Tokoroa, there were 11 cars lined up in the same place with destroyed tyres/wheels. The road is a disgrace - third world stuff. This idiot government has no idea - plenty to spend on fantasy ideology while the basics are collapsing by the day.
He probably doesn't know the cost. Who would for a 30 years long project? This is NZ remember.
Now they've got that under their belts perhaps they could reconstruct the pothole ridden, poorly patched and dangerous Tirau to Taupo section of the same goat track/MAIN HIGHWAY? through the north Island.
If the Transport Powers-That-Be ever travel that road they should die of shame. After they levy the logging trucks for their share of damage.
MC
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