roading Archive

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  More transparency on lobbying needed - by frog

  
  
  
  Is it the case that John Key’s government is so ideologically inspired, evidence averse or economically illiterate that economic policies that are bound to be disastrous for New Zealand get past the Cabinet table with little scrutiny? Or are there more sinister forces at play? Lobbying of public office holders has a major impact on the democratic process and lobbyists should be required to be transparent about their role. read more
  June 10, 2011 2:52 pm - 16 Comments
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  Council rail-roaded into supporting roads - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  I attended the extraordinary Wellington City Council meeting that voted last night to support the Government’s $2.4 billion roading plans. Essentially the Council has written a blank cheque to the NZTA. It is preposterous that the Council could vote on a project when no one, not even the council officers, has seen the final plans. [...] read more
  April 21, 2011 12:01 pm - 34 Comments
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  Get out of his way quick! - by frog

  
  
  
  Jeanette noticed something in the story about Winston’s failed ambush that I had missed.  Apparently Key’s parting present to the people of Tauranga was the promise of a four lane highway through their town: First stop, the Waikato ($750 million), now Tauranga ($100 million). If Key announced his schedule, towns would at least have a chance to cancel [...] read more
  November 4, 2008 3:49 pm - 10 Comments
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  Labour plans to invest in transport look familiar - by frog

  
  
  
  As part of its response to the impending economic crisis Labour yesterday announced changes to it planned expenditure on roading.   Like Act they recognise a good idea when someone else has it and appear to have drawn heavily from the Greens: An enhancement of the existing Financial Assistance Rate for funding local roading would be [...] read more
  November 3, 2008 3:13 pm - 3 Comments
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  King’s new road may be illegal - by frog

  
  
  
  With its announcement that it will use the Auckland Regional Fuel Tax to fund 80 percent of a new road in northern Auckland the government has just earned two more black marks against it’s records on issues that are plaguing it during the campaign; trustworthiness and illegality. The road, Penlink, which will cost $183 million [...] read more
  October 8, 2008 10:03 am - 6 Comments
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  The Waterview Connection - by frog

  
  
  
  You know, Parliament’s question time was interesting yesterday.  Well, not so much all the Winston Peters stuff.  The funniest bit of that exchange was Dail Jones trying to claim that Owen Glenn’s damning letter might be a forgery. The stuff I found interesting though was the discussion on the Waterview Connection. Russel began by asking [...] read more
  August 28, 2008 9:04 am - 28 Comments
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  Labour takes 40 years to act on the 100 month challenge - by frog

  
  
  
  Yesterday No Right Turn pointed to the New Economics Foundation’s challenge that we only have 100 months left to avert potentially irreversible climate change: We calculate that 100 months from 1 August 2008, atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases will begin to exceed a point whereby it is no longer likely we will be able to [...] read more
  August 6, 2008 2:13 pm - 3 Comments
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  Old matai make way for campervans - by frog

  
  
  
  When the Haast highway builders passed through ancient Matai forest forty years ago, the trees were left standing close to the road. After all, some of them had already been there for 1000 years or more. So that’s why Metiria is trying to find out why Transit currently felling 250 ancient podocarps along this scenic [...] read more
  July 30, 2008 4:54 pm - 6 Comments
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  Russel’s first Oral Question in the House today… - by frog

  
  
  
  To: Annette King, Minister of Transport Can she confirm that yesterday the Government announced in this year’s National Land Transport Program a public transport budget of $325 million and a roading budget of $1.94 billion, in other words six times more for roads than for public transport? I’ll report on the answer later today. Photo [...] read more
  July 1, 2008 10:48 am - 20 Comments
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  Politics in the pub with Russel - by frog

  
  
  
  I headed along last night to listen to Russel at his Politics in the Pub Budget Night Debrief at Bar Edward in Newtown.  It was an informal, and often witty analysis of a budget that failed to take into account any of its surrounding environmental and societal circumstances – any that is except for an [...] read more
  May 23, 2008 7:51 am - 32 Comments
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  Sacrilege - by frog

  
  
  
  Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast wants to build a flyover beside the Basin Reserve within 5 years. Sue Kedgley, voicing the concerns of some of this blog’s cricket lovers noted: “I’ve got no doubt that you’re not going to hear the thud of the cricket ball because it’s going to be drowned out by the dull [...] read more
  May 6, 2008 11:39 am - 10 Comments
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  Carbon emitters please queue here - by frog

  
  
  
  If there are any other sectors of the economy that have not taken much action in the last few years to cut your carbon emissions and would like a last minute reprieve would you please form an orderly queue outside the 9th floor of the Beehive and await your turn to receive your government climate [...] read more
  May 6, 2008 9:14 am - 27 Comments
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  Bitumen price soars, roads will crumble - by frog

  
  
  
  Let’s just set aside the Green Party’s distaste for all of Labour and National’s think big road building fantasies for a moment, and do a reality check. This month’s Contractor magazine features an article by Chris Olsen, the CEO of Roading New Zealand. Chris explains that bitumen prices have risen around 30 percent over the [...] read more
  March 17, 2008 5:10 pm - 17 Comments