5. Question No. 5—TransportSHANAN HALBERT (Labour—Northcote) to the Minister of TransportQuestion No. 5—Transport5. SHANAN HALBERT (Labour—Northcote) to the Minister of Transport: What announcements has he made about rebuilding transport networks in cyclone-affected regions?Hon MICHAEL WOOD (Minister of Transport): Last Sunday I announced the next steps in our work to repair road and rail networks across the cyclone-affected parts of the North Island. Our Government is stepping up to cover more of the costs of clearance and rebuild so that councils can progress the repair work without having to rely so much on increasing rates. We've earmarked $275 million of additional funding for Waka Kotahi and local councils to repair affected roads and up to $200 million to repair the rail network; this is on top of the $250 million that the Government announced immediately after Cyclone Gabrielle which has already helped to restore vital roading connections in recent months. Collectively this funding means that Waka Kotahi will be able to consider requests from affected regions for higher levels of direct financial support to rebuild roads taking pressure off local communities. The steps that we've taken will provide certainty to those communities that the Government will continue to support councils to ensure that necessary repairs can be done without them having to worry that ratepayers will be left to foot the bill alone.Shanan Halbert: What key roads has the funding made available by the Government so far helped to reopen across cyclone-affected regions?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: I want to thank Waka Kotahi local councils contractors and workers all across cyclone- and flooding-affected areas for their hard work on restoring connections. A few key examples of important connections that have been restored include State Highway 1 over the Brynderwyns which was reopened in March thanks in part to our emergency funding and further work to improve drainage and stabilise slips. State Highway 5 between Napier and Taupō was reopened in March as well thanks to the tireless work of local roading crews and work continues to restore it to normal levels of service. Just this weekend my colleague the Associate Minister the Hon Kiri Allan marked the completion of the Waikari Bailey bridge which means that State Highway 2 between Napier and Wairoa is now open—something that was very much welcomed by the affected communities. The funding we have made available so far has helped to reopen these key State highways and has supported hundreds of local roads to reopen across cyclone- and flooding-affected regions.Shanan Halbert: How will the new funding that has been announced help to restore rail networks?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: In addition to the investment in the roading network we've also made new funding available to repair the rail lines that were damaged during the extreme weather. Repair work is and will be focused on the North Auckland line the Palmerston North to Gisborne line the Auckland metropolitan network the North Island Main Trunk and the East Coast Main Trunk. This will get our rail network back into action by investing to repair the rail tracks sleepers bridges and other structures that were damaged and to clear debris from the tracks caused by slips and wash-outs. This is a critical part of restoring local supply chains and getting freight moving again in the affected regions.Shanan Halbert: What other milestones can he report on efforts to rebuild cyclone-affected transport networks?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: Last week I was very pleased in Thames to confirm alongside Mayor Len Salt that Waka Kotahi is starting work on a bridge to reconnect State Highway 25A across the Coromandel Peninsula. This is a crucial step in restoring connectivity for communities and businesses in the Thames-Coromandel region. We know that our regions rely on a resilient roading network to connect the smaller and more isolated communities and our Government is committed to supporting them as we rebuild from the cyclone and floods from earlier this year. We continue to provide the financial support in response to this extreme event and we will continue to do so to support our communities.