5. Roading—Tauranga Northern LinkJAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) to the Minister of TransportRoading—Tauranga Northern Link5. JAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) to the Minister of Transport: Does he stand by all his statements on transport priorities for this Government?Hon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Transport): Yes in the context in which they were given.Jami-Lee Ross: Does he stand by his statement that no existing and funded roading project other than the East-West Link has been altered by the Government"?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Yes.Jami-Lee Ross: Why then has the procurement process for the Tauranga Northern Link been axed just this month?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: If the member wants to put that question down I'm happy to get a specific response for him but I stand by my statement: no existing roading project has been altered since the Government took office.Jami-Lee Ross: Is the Minister saying he knows nothing about the Tauranga Northern Link procurement process where construction funding was granted in April 2016 for that project and the procurement process has now stopped; is he saying he knows nothing about that and he's—SPEAKER: Order! The member finished his question some time ago.Hon PHIL TWYFORD: The member should know that the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is responsible for administering hundreds of transport projects simultaneously around the country. If the member wants to put down a detailed question on a specific transport project I'll be happy to get him that information.Todd Muller: Will the Minister commit to joining me to drive this road and see the danger and congestion as my community sees it or will he continue to not reply to the community's expectation to see him?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Transport priorities are being reviewed in order to place greater emphasis on safety and value for money. The Tauranga eastern expressway for example cost $455 million and carries less than 20000 vehicles on average daily. Yet across town on State Highway 2 between Tauranga and Waihi there were 63 deaths and 196 serious injuries over the past eight years. Our priorities will rebalance spending away from a few hand-picked low-value over-engineered expressways towards practical solutions that save lives.Michael Wood: Why is the Government reviewing transport priorities?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Thank you for that question. The reason is this: because we can make some very deliberate choices in the way we spend our transport budget. For example for about half the cost of National's East-West Link we could install median safety barriers on every single kilometre of the State highway network.Jami-Lee Ross: Why is this Minister able to make disparaging comments about the previous Government's roading priorities—SPEAKER: Order! I'm going to give the member a chance to rephrase his question. If he follows a similar vein he will lose it.Jami-Lee Ross: Why is this Minister making disparaging comments about projects like the Tauranga Northern Link when NZTA themselves say that an outcome of that project would be a reduction by 50 percent in serious injuries and deaths on that road?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: I repeat for the member's benefit that the Tauranga eastern expressway cost $455 million carries less—SPEAKER: Order! I don't think anything is gained by the Minister repeating the statement. He was asked something about another road and he should address that.Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Could the member repeat the question?Jami-Lee Ross: Why is he able to make disparaging comments about roads like the Tauranga Northern Link which NZTA themselves say would reduce deaths and serious injuries on that road by 50 percent?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: I didn't make disparaging statements about the Tauranga Northern Link."