'Roads of National Significance' modelled on Muldoon's Think Big scheme

The National Government’s so-called ‘Roads of National Significance’ are grandiose, ill-considered and offer Kiwis poor value for money – just like Muldoon’s Think Big energy projects of the 1980s, says Labour’s Transport spokesperson Phil Twyford.

“Just as Rob Muldoon’s energy projects overestimated rising oil prices in the 1980s, National’s mega-motorway projects are based on far-out predictions of ever-rising traffic volumes, when in fact traffic volumes have been stagnant since 2004.

“And just like Muldoon’s Think Big projects, National’s motorway projects are poor quality spending with little evidence that they will benefit the economy,” Phil Twyford said.

“The Government’s own data shows Kiwis are driving less, but it seems no one has told Ministers Brownlee and Joyce.

“National is charging ahead spending $10 billion over the next seven years on hand-picked gold-plated projects.

“When I asked Finance Minister Bill English if he thought the highway spend gave value for money his government’s argument was already sunk.

“Just minutes earlier Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee showed exactly how much thought National had put into the economic return of roading projects when he said members should not ‘get too hung up on cost benefit analysis’ – a telling admission.

“Ministers haphazardly spending billions of taxpayer dollars, based on flawed methodology, and shonky data might amuse the National government, but the next generation of New Zealanders deserve better,” Phil Twyford said.