Everybody gets a road

Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, July 10th, 2020 - 13 comments
Categories: Environment, national, public transport, same old national, todd muller, transport - Tags:

If you think that Covid 19 is bad, global warming is the next great crisis waiting around the corner to whack humanity.  This cartoon sums it up well.

Spurred on by Pacific nations begging for their survival the world decided not so long ago to try and hold global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees.

This is a big ask.  It will require western nations to completely transform their economies and their transport systems and their power systems.  New Zealand has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2050.  The rest of the Western World will have to do the same if we are to have a chance of meeting this goal.

Which means that you have to start to decarbonise transport now.  So what does a future looking National Party propose should it be elected?

MOAR ROADS.

Last weekend they announced plans for a new road from Cambridge to Piarere.  They have previously announced it twice although it was going to be a bit longer and make it to Tirau.

Then on Wednesday of this week with much fanfare and photo opportuning they announced a new road, from Christchurch to Ashburton.  This was also a recycle.  It was one of the proposed roads of national significance last election.

This is lets own the libs territory. Everyone with an understanding of climate change realise that we have to change and fast. Only a dinosaur party intent on stoking reactionary support would be proposing this as a policy.

Interestingly I posted the above screenshot two days ago. Today when I went to check the page out I found this:

So to record the information and protect it from erasure let me confidently predict that National will announce in the near future variations of the following roading projects:

  • Wellsford to Whangarei
  • East West Link in Auckland
  • Piarere to the foot of the Kaimai Range
  • Tauranga to Katikati
  • Napier to Hastings
  • Manawatu Gorge
  • Levin to Sanson
  • Christchurch Northern Motorway

And the cost? Some figure north of $10.5 billion plus three year’s interest.

There is nothing more predictable than National offering a road up as a significant policy announcement. Thankfully it looks like they will not get close to the Treasury benches this election.

13 comments on “Everybody gets a road ”

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  1. stuff the politicians 1
    10 July 2020 at 9:30 am

    I am very surprised that Muller has not taken the opportunity to make Christchurch to Akaroa a four lane highway.

    With the new seat of Banks Peninsula up for grabs, combined with his stupidity, any thing is possible.

    Like you said, every one is getting a road.

    So much for the Roads and Bridges Party.

  2. froggleblocks 2
    10 July 2020 at 9:57 am

    Labour have also announced a very large roads package, back before all this COVID stuff happened.

  3. Just Is 3
    10 July 2020 at 10:45 am

    As the old saying goes

    The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions

  4. Grumpy 4
    10 July 2020 at 11:10 am

    Maybe the Global Warming threat is over……Kevin Rudd just bought a stunning beachfront property in Australia!
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8485323/Kevin-Rudd-wife-buy-Noosa-home-17million-owned-tennis-great-Pat-Rafter.html

  5. Byd0nz 5
    10 July 2020 at 12:24 pm

    A road to nowhere for National, maybe they could connect it to the bridge to nowhere, coz nowhere is where they're heading, oh dear!

  6. Incognito 6
    10 July 2020 at 12:38 pm

    There is nothing more predictable than National offering a road up as a significant policy announcement.

    Tax cuts to fund more roads. Duh!

    • greywarshark 7.1
      10 July 2020 at 4:46 pm

      Christchurch-Banks Peninsula stick out on the map, looking as if they are thumbing a lift to the north island or perhaps signalling a right turn now they are so important to have the Christchurch to Ashburton motorway become a sort of regal processionway for the wealth creators of the farming community.

  8. greywarshark 8
    10 July 2020 at 4:40 pm

    I've heard it's a fund raising scheme. You donate $100,000 and go in a draw to have your choice of name for one of the highways and byways.

  9. Maurice 9
    11 July 2020 at 9:44 am

    More to the point: With the massive Covid debt and impending de-Carbonisation ….

    We are ALL going to be "railroaded" ….. in to a much lower standard of living!

  10. In Vino 10
    11 July 2020 at 8:09 pm

    Actually, I could almost be tempted to vote for Todd if he fixed my driveway for me..

    • Gabby 10.1
      12 July 2020 at 10:03 am

      Nominating your driveway a road of national importance would be a bit of a stretch. Wouldn't put it past the odd farming district councillor though.