Comment: Transmission Gully
Is Tramission Gully the last motorway NZ ever builds?
Every New Zealander who values a modern, safe transport network must have noticed the recent admission by transport minister Michael Wood that Transmission Gully would not have been built if Labour had been the decision-maker at the time.
Now we know there were problems in construction, but in the few months since it has opened, Transmission Gully has quickly become a vital piece of the lower North Island’s transport infrastructure.
Not only does it speed up the trip in and out of Wellington but it also provides vital resilience in the real likelihood that the old State Highway 1, now State Highway 59, is ever knocked out.
Also barely mentioned is the significant secondary benefit for all the communities (Porirua, Paremata, Mana, Plimmerton, Camborne, Pukerua Bay, and Paekakariki) along the old State Highway 1. These places have been transformed, with the majority of the traffic now diverted to the new road.
The fact is with so many current political hurdles to building new roads, it’s difficult to conceive of when and where the next new motorway will be built. This is despite a plethora of worthy options, increasing demand, and a national infrastructure deficit that gets worse by the day.
We’re constantly told that new roads automatically mean an increase in emissions. However, that’s flawed thinking. New roads won’t increase emissions if alternative technologies continue to replace the combustion engine.
Unfortunately for our industry, the technology for heavy vehicles doesn’t yet exist in any meaningful sense but there are things Government can support, such as the incentivisation of moving to Euro Six and the uptake of other efficiency standards.
As New Zealand continues to grow, we will always need roads to connect us and secure our domestic supply chain. The reality is that rail and coastal shipping just can’t deliver the vast majority of the freight task, no matter what incentives you create for them.
Even if we marginally reduce the number of cars on our roads per capita, with a growing population, we’re still going to experience growth in the overall number of vehicles, which means we must continue to invest in our roads.
Register now for The Road Ahead Conference 2022
After a false start due to COVID lockdowns in 2021, Transporting New Zealand invites you to join us at Invercargill’s Ascot Park Hotel on 28 and 29 September 2022 for The Road Ahead Conference.
We invite you to contemplate what’s ahead for transport operators as the world looks to recover from the challenges of the pandemic. As we look to move on from COVID-19, the conference will focus on our changing workforce, sustainability and environmental requirements, supply chain issues, and other disruptors.
Speakers will include minister of transport Michael Wood, Waka Kotahi chief executive Nicole Rosie, and economic commentator Cameron Bagrie. The keynote speaker will be Animation Research Limited’s Sir Ian Taylor.
The final night of the Conference will also feature the return of the New Zealand Road Transport Industry Awards. The intention is to recognise the individuals, organisations, and companies in and around the road transport industry that have raised the bar when it comes to safety practices, knowledge, training, industry awareness, innovation, and expertise.
The awards will honour those who ultimately make a positive difference to our industry and ensure road transport is a rewarding and safe environment to work in.
The New Zealand Road Transport Industry Awards rely on nominations coming from the sector so if you know of an individual or organisation that you believe deserves to be recognised, go to transporting.nz/our-events/industry-awards.
Conference registration is also now available at conference.transporting.nz with an early-bird discount running until 31 July. I look forward to seeing you in Invercargill.
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