6. Question No. 6—TransportHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of TransportQuestion No. 6—Transport6. Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of Transport: What are the major cost pressures on the National Land Transport Fund for the period 2018–2021 which have led to councils in Auckland Christchurch and Selwyn all facing reduced expectations on the level of funding available from the fund for roading improvements?Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER (Associate Minister of Transport) on behalf of the Minister of Transport: The Transport Agency advises me that while there is more money than ever before in the National Land Transport Fund (NLTP)—including $700 million more for local roads than under the previous Government's last NLTP—the agency has received an unprecedented number of funding requests for new transport projects. I'd like to assure that member that Auckland Canterbury and Selwyn are all receiving higher levels of funding for transport under this Government. However given that under the last Government 40 percent of the transport budget was spent on just seven motorways—primarily in urban areas—it's not surprising that we have a backlog of local road public transport and safety upgrades that need funding right across the country.Hon Paul Goldsmith: So how can he have got the figures so wrong in August last year when he announced the current three-year funding plan that he and his colleagues are back-pedalling less than 10 months later?Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: On behalf of the Minister I didn't get any figures wrong. We're putting more money into local roads regional roads and local road and State highway maintenance than the previous Government would have. It's just that for the first time in 10 years local councils now had some confidence they might get central government funding for local road projects safety projects and regional improvements and so they enthusiastically brought forward a huge number of transport projects—hundreds and hundreds of transport projects—of which we are funding a much larger number than would have been able to be funded under the previous Government's transport budget. So I just want to reassure the member that more local roads will be funded and more safety projects will be funded under this NLTP than would have been the case if National had still been in power.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Well what does he say to Christchurch City Council chairwoman Pauline Cotter who facing New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) delays and recalibration said We are all set to go. We're shovel ready. They [NZTA] have gone out and made these promises and then pulled out the rug from under us … it's pretty gutting really."?Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: On behalf of the Minister I can understand the disappointment because for 10 years under the last Government there was a huge infrastructure deficit opened up because there wasn't enough money put into local road projects cycling projects and safety projects. So it's going to take more than two years for this Government to catch up with the many projects that need to be funded. But I can reassure the member that Canterbury is receiving $1.7 billion in investment from the NLTP which is more than ever before. In fact the Selwyn District will receive 33 percent more funding than it did under the last NLTP.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Does he agree with Auckland mayor Phil Goff who said that Auckland can't afford to wait around for the New Zealand Transport Agency to make funding decisions and the city needs to see more action from the Government organisation?Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: On behalf of the Minister yes and that's why we've made it such a priority to work with Auckland to ensure that the Auckland Transport Alignment Project is fully funded. Under that last Government there was more than a $5 billion funding gap so it really is curious how that member thinks that any of these projects could be going ahead under his Government when they're questioning nominal increases to petrol tax and they're questioning investments in safety public transport walking and cycling and local roads. Simply I have to say that local councils have told us they're very happy with this Government's new focus on a balanced investment but it will take some years for us to make up for that 10 years of underfunding of local roads and safety under the previous Government."