Coddington Deborah: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Coddington Deborah: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:619;Page:14940] 
10.  
DEBORAH CODDINGTON (ACT) 
 to the  
Minister of Transport 
: Does he view the Resource Management Act 1991 as an obstacle to overcoming Auckland’s transport problems; if not why not? 
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Transport) 
: 
 Hardly. Transport expenditure in Auckland is now running at an all-time record—almost twice the level that existed when this Government first came to office. However this Government leaves no stone unturned which is why the Resource Management Act is currently under further review. 
Deborah Coddington 
: Which statement is true—the Minister’s answer that he has just given or Transit New Zealand’s report to the select committee last year that stated that it takes longer to get a resource consent to build a new road than it does to actually build the new road? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I think that if one is going to quote Transit the best example of a Transit statement recently is one that was put into every edition of the  
New Zealand Herald 
 which stated: “Transit investing half a billion in Auckland highways. More to come.” 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I think the Minister can now address the particular question he was asked. 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: If that is what Transit said last year then this year it has managed to find itself an answer under this very good Government. 
H V Ross Robertson 
: Can the Minister give any breakdown of where the expenditure increases in Auckland have occurred? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: They have occurred everywhere. Since the change of Government State highway construction is up by about 90 percent per annum passenger transport expenditure is up by about 400 percent per annum and alternatives to roading are up by over 15000 percent per annum. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: How does he think that the Government’s policy of introducing legal aid for objectors to new roads has helped Auckland’s traffic congestion problem noting that even Environment Court judges have been critical of objectors who have been paid for by the taxpayer under his Government’s policies? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: And accordingly the Environment Court is entitled to and from time to time seeks expenses from those bodies but the point of the matter is that nobody can deny that this Government is getting Auckland moving again. 
Peter Brown 
: Noting those answers is the Minister aware that the Automobile Association has recently produced a brochure called  
Jump Starting Auckland 
 which clearly outlines the obstacles the issues and a procedure for addressing Auckland’s transport woes and if he is aware of that brochure and that philosophy does he not think a good starting point would be to discuss the situation in meaningful detail with the Automobile Association which represents one million motorists? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The Automobile Association has a comprehensive report coming out tomorrow. I have seen it but it is embargoed and I do not think it is proper for me to break that embargo. I enjoy a good relationship with the Automobile Association and intend to continue it. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: How can the Resource Management Act be an obstacle to overcoming Auckland’s transport problems when the Britomart transport centre the Albany to Puhoi realignment the Mount Roskill extension the upper harbour project and the North Shore busway have all recently received consents despite a couple of them having quite severe environmental effects and public opposition and should not the rights of communities and the environment in fact be strengthened under the Resource Management Act? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The member is absolutely correct except that her list was not comprehensive. There is more besides. The point of the matter is that the National Party and the ACT party think that planning law is bad. Planning law is how we get proper integrated sustainable transport infrastructure in this country and we need it. 
Deborah Coddington 
: Given that Transit has waited 8 years for permission to build a new road how much longer will Aucklanders have to wait for new roads now that under the Land Transport Management Act Transit has to consult Auckland iwi about things like Auckland taniwha? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: There is nothing new in that. The point is that Auckland roading expenditure is now running at almost twice what it was when we took office. This Government has got the Queen City moving further and faster than the Tories did in the dear old days of the 1990s when nothing happened.