Road Funds Welcomed
Christchurch City Council is delighted that Land Transport NZ (LTNZ) has increased this year's National Land Transport Programme by 14 per cent compared to last year, Mayor Garry Moore says.
"This is exactly the direction we should be going in," Mr Moore says.
In the 2006/07 National Land Transport Programme, district and city councils are receiving $612 million to help maintain and improve local road networks, an increase of $132m from last year.
Mr Moore is a strong advocate for increased funding for South Island roads and public transport and is delighted the city's Southern Motorway development is featuring as a priority again.
In coming years the Council needs LTNZ funding for a number of large projects, including an expansion of central city bus exchange facilities, an investigation of light rail and of options for beefing up access to the city from the north.
"We've ensured that our 10-year plan includes substantial funds to ensure Christchurch doesn't end up with the kinds of problems other cities are having with congestion and difficulty developing better public transport. But to do that we need the national funder in there as a partner. This is a good start from LTNZ and we need to ensure it's backed up in future years."
The CCC will work with other southern councils to ensure the South Island's voice is clearly heard when funding decisions are being made. |
