Brown Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Brown Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:622;Page:17307] 
12.  
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Transport 
: What is the total amount that the Government is prepared to contribute towards the Tauranga Harbour link project under what has been reported as being the preferred package representing a “collaborative funding approach”? 
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Transport) 
: 
 I raised the possibility—the possibility—of a special funding arrangement when I was in Tauranga in September and that is still its status. 
Peter Brown 
: So is the Minister telling us there is no truth in the rumour that such an arrangement is being considered this very afternoon or tomorrow afternoon I think by Transit and Transfund; and is there no truth to the rumour that a specific package is being considered? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I do not know what the rumour is so I cannot verify it. 
Lianne Dalziel 
: What reports has the Minister received on transport funding for the Bay of Plenty? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I have received two reports recently. The first said that the future petrol tax take should be used to fund the Tauranga Harbour Bridge. The second said that the legislation to allow this was garbage and it was voted against. Who promised the money and then voted against it? It was Peter Brown whose behaviour is I think hilarious. 
Paul Adams 
: Can the Minister confirm that my colleague Larry Baldock has already approached him regarding this issue and that a practical policy solution is currently being worked on as a result? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: Mr Baldock has approached me on this issue on a number of occasions. I have told him and the region’s leaders that the Government is not saying no to a funding deal being reached. We will be looking closely at the Bay of Plenty’s regional land transport strategy and the funding issues associated with it. 
Peter Brown 
: Why does the Minister not come clean and recommend a more businesslike approach to road funding in this country and by that I mean identifying the project specifying the costs determining the time frame and using the appropriate funding methods—borrowing if necessary—to fund our roading? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The member may not be aware that I am statutorily barred from taking project decisions on which roads are built. The member may not be aware of it so I will tell him—and I will tell him what coming clean is like. Coming clean is not going back to Tauranga and asking: “Can we please have some petrol tax to pay for the bridge?” and then returning to Wellington and voting against it. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Is the Minister concerned that Tauranga has the highest number of household car trips in the country and has he told the people of Tauranga that additional funding for roads will depend on them taking a more balanced approach to transport with a greater use of public transport rail travel demand management cycling and walking in accordance with the New Zealand Transport Strategy? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The Bay of Plenty regional land transport strategy has some good things in it and it was the first to be written under the new Land Transport Management Act. For example it has very very good targets for public transport but it is a little bit light on how they will be achieved. I am confident that any approach made to the Government will focus on the achievement of a multimodal and integrated transport solution for the Bay of Plenty.