The year ahead
Welcome back to my first column for the year - I hope everyone had a decent break over the holidays and caught some good weather.
2011 is shaping up to be another huge year for our region, particularly for transport. The Government is investing billions of dollars into a long-overdue upgrade of our infrastructure.
The refurbished Waikanae train station officially opens on February 20 when more reliable, improved services will begin. The new ‘Matangi’ trains will start operation around the middle of the year.
I’m looking forward to more good progress on upgrading our roads. The Levin to Wellington Airport corridor has been designated a ‘Road of National Significance’ by the Government, and around $2.2 billion will be invested over the next 10 years.
Good progress is being made on Transmission Gully, which will link up with the new expressway at MacKays Crossing.
Consultation on the Kapiti expressway closes this week. While it’s been a tough time for those affected in the community, most people agree that a decent road is needed.
Further north, consultation on the details of the Peka Peka to Otaki expressway begins on February 7.
Engineering firm MWH have been appointed to carry out preliminary work on the next section to Levin section. This stretch of road is long overdue for an upgrade to improve overall safety.
Exciting news last week was the confirmation that Air New Zealand will begin flights from Paraparaumu Airport to Auckland in October. This will be great for local travellers and a real boost to the regional economy.
Another huge event for local tourism will be the Rugby World Cup in September and October. Around 85,000 visitors are expected and most will want to see and experience as much of New Zealand as they can.
There are seven games in Wellington and two in Palmerston North so we should expect plenty of travellers passing through our region.
Finally, 2011 is also an election year. The Otaki electorate is always a well-fought contest and I expect it to be the same this year. It’s a huge privilege representing this area in Parliament and I’ll be asking voters to let me carry on this work.