12. Question No. 12—TransportHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of TransportQuestion No. 12—Transport12. Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of Transport: Does he stand by all his policies and statements in relation to Wellington transport?Hon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Transport): Yes. Last week I announced with Wellington Mayor Justin Lester and Greater Wellington Regional Council Chair Chris Laidlaw the Let's Get Wellington Moving indicative package. It will reduce congestion by integrating modern rapid transit walking and cycling upgrades better public transport with the city's motorways and roads. Better public transport infrastructure and more services will encourage people out of their cars freeing up the roads for those that have to drive and I thank the member for his endorsement of the plan when he described it as sensible.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Can't remember that. How does delaying the Melling interchange and Pētone to Grenada Link Road—two vital upgrades to coincide with the completion of Transmission Gully—get Wellington moving?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well the Let's Get Wellington Moving project is designed as the biggest transport investment that Wellington City has ever had but I would note that in doing the financial modelling for the project a generous allowance of something like $4.4 billion in likely future regional transport expenditure was set aside for other transport projects like Melling like the cross-valley link and I think that's why the regions' mayors have all unanimously backed the Let's Get Welly Moving project because they see it as a project of great regional significance.Paul Eagle: What feedback has the Minister received from the region's mayors about Let's Get Welly Moving?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well the feedback's been extremely positive. I met with all of the mayors from the wider Wellington region and the chair of the regional council. All of them recognised the regional significance of Wellington's job-rich CBD and the importance of access for the region's people to both the airport and the hospital. In fact all of these mayors have said to me and publicly that they support Let's Get Wellington Moving. But why doesn't the National Party support the regions' mayors?Hon Paul Goldsmith: Supplementary.SPEAKER: Paul Eagle.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Why have—SPEAKER: Paul Eagle.Paul Eagle: Thank you Mr Speaker. Will there be a large concrete flyover over the Basin Reserve?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Wellingtonians will be relieved to hear that there will be no concrete flyover over the Basin Reserve. This is despite the previous Government threatening to cut off all regional funding if the Wellington local bodies did not go along with their plan for a giant concrete flyover.SPEAKER: Order! Order! That's not an area the member has responsibility for.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Why have safety upgrades for what the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) calls the Wellington region's most dangerous road"—the roundabouts on State Highway 58 in Porirua—been delayed despite being previously funded?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Those projects are subject to the normal NZTA processes completely separate from the consideration of the Let's Get Welly Moving project. There's a number of projects that are under way that are in the pipeline. The member mentioned Melling before; NZTA's board has approved that project and commitment is subject to finance becoming available. In 18 months this Government's done more for transport infrastructure in Wellington than that Government did in nine long years.Brett Hudson: Will he confirm that a second Terrace Tunnel and Te Aro undergrounding will be delivered as part of the package announced last Thursday?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: No I will not confirm that because there wasn't sufficient money for those two projects and the clear intention of the Let's Get Wellington Moving project is to reduce car dependency and to provide a sustainable way to ease congestion by getting more people out of single-occupant vehicles into public transport rapid transit and walking and cycling. That is the future of this beautiful waterfront CBD and our Government's going to unlock all of that potential.Brett Hudson: When is it anticipated that Wellington ratepayers will begin paying increased charges and rates to contribute to the Let's Get Wellington Moving package?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well that of course is up to the Wellington councils. But I'll say this: this project has a scale and level of ambition that Wellington has never ever seen and because our Government was willing to go beyond the tired old business-as-usual policy settings because we're prepared to make long-term financial commitments to this city and this region Wellington councils were willing to front up with 40 percent of the cost of the total programme—that is unprecedented and it shows what a great partnership our Government has with the people of Wellington.Brett Hudson: Supplementary?SPEAKER: No the member's had his supplementaries. I think he knows that—it's a nice try."