10. Question No. 10—TransportCHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister of TransportQuestion No. 10—Transport10. CHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister of Transport: What has caused the New Zealand Transport Agency to reallocate $313 million from the rapid transit activity class in the 2018-21 National Land Transport Programme and did the NZTA look at reallocating a larger amount of money given progress to date on light rail? Hon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Transport): To the first part of the question what the super fund is proposing for Auckland light rail has never been considered before in New Zealand. It's based on a public-public investment model and it should be analysed carefully. A final decision on who will build this transformational infrastructure will be made early next year. While options are being developed and examined the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has the opportunity to reallocate funding and crack on with other projects like the Manawatū Gorge while we take the time to get a multibillion-dollar game-changing infrastructure for Auckland right. To the second part no.Chris Bishop: Why did the New Zealand Transport Agency not reallocate all of the $313 million straight back into the State highway improvements activity class when that activity class has been cut by $5 billion over the next decade meaning that critical projects like the Tauranga Northern Link Melling interchange and Ōtaki to Levin have been cancelled or delayed?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: What the NZTA has done is allocate the remaining funding for Auckland light rail plus rapid transit investments in a number of other urban areas. But the member's broader point is that there is a list of projects that are ready to fund including safety upgrades and including State highway projects but this Government is not going to give a blank cheque to a dozen motorway projects that were promised by the last Government and all but two of them were not funded or designated. They are ghost roads.Chris Bishop: Does he stand by his comment that the 12 re-evaluated projects he's just mentioned have very low economic value; if so why?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: It's my view that very few if any of those—the second generation so-called roads of national significance that National promised—would exceed a benefit-cost ratio of one. They weren't funded. They weren't designated with a couple of exceptions. They were campaign promises—the worst of pork-barrel politics. Meanwhile this Government is getting on with investing—for example $1.4 billion in safety upgrades across 3500 kilometres of roading network that will save 160 deaths and serious injuries every year.Michael Wood: What response has he seen to the NZTA's decision to reallocate money from the rapid transit activity class?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: I've seen several reports of people welcoming the Government's decision to use part of that reallocation for the initial funding of the Manawatū Gorge replacement highway. Ashurst resident Grant Marshall said that the new road would make a big difference to the community now that there's certainty that it's happening. Wairarapa-based Labour list MP Kieran McAnulty said It's vitally important to so many aspects of this community." I've also seen reports of someone calling the decision a no-brainer and I want to thank National's transport spokesperson Chris Bishop for his support as well. Chris Bishop: Is he seriously saying to the House that projects like the Tauranga Northern Link—which was funded consented and out for procurement—and projects like the Melling interchange and the Ōtaki to Levin project—SPEAKER: Order! The member's got two questions already.Chris Bishop: Is he seriously saying that those important projects are of low economic value?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: What I'm saying—and the member's quite wrong in his question—is the Tauranga Northern Link was designated but not a single cent was allocated to it in National's last plan—not a single cent.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I carefully listened to that question where he presaged that the northern link north of Tauranga had been funded. We all know categorically that that is demonstrably—SPEAKER: Order! Order!Rt Hon Winston Peters: Well he had it in his question.SPEAKER: Order! If the member thinks that the member misled the House as part of the question he knows the remedy for it and it's not to debate it by way of point of order.Hon Chris Hipkins: Can the Minister confirm that the Melling Link project has neither been cancelled nor delayed—in fact it's been accelerated—because it was never funded in the first place? Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well I'm very happy to confirm that that is exactly the case. It hasn't been cancelled it's never been delayed it's actually been brought forward and we've announced the designation of it—that that party never did while they were in Government. Hon Simon Bridges: Can the Minister confirm that the Tauranga Northern Link was approved for funding by the then NZTA board and can he also confirm that nothing else needs to happen short of signing the cheque? Hon PHIL TWYFORD: The Tauranga Northern Link was—the route was designated but it was not funded under the last Government. Hon Simon Bridges: Was it halfway through commercial tender when he literally contacted the NZTA and pulled the pin? Hon PHIL TWYFORD: The premise of the member's question is absolutely false. Michael Wood: What other projects have been funded from the reallocation? Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well from the reallocation we're building five bridges: State Highway 26 to Kirikiri Stream in the Waikato the Onetai Stream in the Waikato the Kōpaki Bridge in the Waikato the Beaumont Bridge in Otago and the Stoney Creek Bridge on the West Coast. Rather than just talking about bridges—Hon Simon Bridges: He was proud of them last week. Hon PHIL TWYFORD: —we're actually building them Mr Bridges."