Twyford Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Twyford Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 30 August 2012. Volume:683;Page:4993. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
9. 
PHIL TWYFORD (Labour—Te Atatu) 
 to the  
Minister of Transport 
: Does he stand by all his statements on the Roads of National Significance? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister of Transport) 
: 
 Yes especially when I called upon the member to name which of the roads of national significance his party would not fund. 
Phil Twyford 
: Does he stand by his statement after the downgrading of the Otaki to Levin highway that no further roads of national significance would be cancelled; if so how does he square this with the New Zealand Transport Agency saying now that the section of the Puhoi to Wellsford road of national significance north of the Omaha turn-off in Warkworth has been downgraded to a possible road of national significance? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Anticipating the member’s question by virtue of the questions I was asked on the bridge coming across to the Chamber I made inquiries of the New Zealand Transport Agency which told me that that is not the case. 
Phil Twyford 
: I seek leave of the House to table this new map from the New Zealand Transport Agency titled  
Transport and Land-use Priorities: Auckland Region 
 which clearly identifies the Warkworth to Wellsford highway as a possible road of national significance. It is a new map. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection.  









Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Phil Twyford 
: Has any assessment been done comparing the impact on Northland’s economy of spending $1.7 billion on a roading project that is not even in Northland with other options such as upgrading the North Auckland rail line more quickly and cheaply improving safety on State Highway 1 actually upgrading roads in Northland or a regional economic development package? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: It may surprise the member to note that people cannot get their goods out of Northland unless there are roads outside of Northland. It sort of makes sense that if you want to get from Northland down to some other part of New Zealand you need a road to get there. Eighty percent of all freight in this country is carried on the road. That is why we are putting the money into the road transport programme and the roads of national significance. Tell us which of the roads in the programme would Labour stop? 
Phil Twyford 
: Will he confirm that the proposed spend of $33 million on the Puhoi to Warkworth design and property purchase while downgrading Warkworth to Wellsford to being a possible road of national significance confirms that the project has nothing to do with improving Northland’s economy and everything to do with making it faster to get to the Prime Minister’s holiday home in Omaha? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Well firstly I reject that last statement; I think it is outrageous that the member has been so stupid as to make it. Let me tell you this: the programme has always had the Puhoi to Wellsford road being designed the designations put on it the properties acquired etc. in the current land transport period. It will be built in the 2015-18 period unless we get a Labour Government which will can it.