7. Question No. 7—TransportPAUL EAGLE (Labour—Rongotai) to the Minister of TransportQuestion No. 7—Transport7. PAUL EAGLE (Labour—Rongotai) to the Minister of Transport: In what ways if any will the New Zealand Upgrade Programme help futureproof the economy and get our cities moving?Hon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Transport): Thank you Mr Speaker. The New Zealand Upgrade Programme will help futureproof the economy by providing a fully funded pipeline of transport projects over the next decade on top of the ones already funded and being delivered through the National Land Transport Programme. It will help get our cities moving by investing $6.8 billion for roads rail public transport and walking and cycling in our six major growth areas. It's proof positive that we are the Government of infrastructure.Paul Eagle: What reactions has he seen from the industry to the New Zealand Upgrade Programme?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Civil Contractors New Zealand chief executive Peter Silcock said that the announcements showed the Government was looking at a wide range of projects including roads and that this announcement was a welcome one for the country's road builders and civil construction companies. Kirk Hope of Business New Zealand said that this announcement was positive for business. It's fair to say the New Zealand Upgrade has had glowing reviews from industry across the board.Paul Eagle: What job opportunities will be created because of the package?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: The Transport Agency estimates that the package could initially create 800 to 1000 new jobs directly in our construction industry as the first five projects get under way in the next 12 months—that is State Highway 1 Papakura to Drury electrification of the rail line between Papakura and Pukekohe the third main rail line Tauranga Northern Link and the Wellington rail package—and that it's designed to create 7000 to 9000 jobs in the wider supply chain. This is based on what happened with similar projects recently and from NZTA's discussions with the industry. It will also provide opportunities to upskill our workforce. Importantly the package gives industry the certainty that they've been asking for: a pipeline of work for the next decade enabling them to invest in their people.Chris Bishop: Has he received any advocacy from the member of Parliament for Rongotai about the necessity of bringing forward a second Mount Victoria tunnel as part of the New Zealand Upgrade?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well the member for Rongotai is a very active advocate on behalf of his constituents and what he tells me is that the people who live in his electorate are overwhelmingly happy that they have a Government that's committed $6.5 billion of multimodal transport investments to Wellington after nine years when the former Government—the only thing that they did was fail to impose a giant concrete flyover at the Basin Reserve.Chris Bishop: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: I don't think I need a point of order. I think the member will now address the question.Hon PHIL TWYFORD: The member for Rongotai is a very active advocate on behalf of his constituents and he wants to see all of the components of the Let's Get Wellington Moving package moved forward as fast as possible and they will be.David Seymour: If the New Zealand Upgrade Programme is so meritorious why didn't the Government announce it two years ago when it took power?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Because we have rebalanced the transport policy by spending. We've made a $4 billion investment in rail we are doing 70 percent more maintenance of the State highway network we're investing $1.4 billion in safety upgrades on 3300 kilometres of State highways and local roads and after the New Zealand Upgrade Programme we are spending more than $7 billion more on transport infrastructure than the former Government did—$7 billion more.David Seymour: Sorry could the Minister explain how doing any of that prevented him from announcing the New Zealand Upgrade Programme two years ago?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Because it was necessary after nine years of neglect to address the deficit of transport infrastructure that we inherited. We had to rebalance the transport policy. We have and thanks to Grant Robertson's careful financial management we're now in a position to bring forward and fund projects that that party promised in a press release but never funded.