Kapiti Expressway
It’s been fantastic to see rapid progress on the Kapiti Expressway over the last six months.
Last month I visited the expressway developments at Poplar Ave where I saw the work underway to reposition the street, part of which includes a new bridge.
This is an important part of the $630 million Mackays to Peka Peka Expressway, which is tracking ahead of schedule.
As well as saving time, the expressway is already creating new jobs in our region.
Just one example is the 60 new local jobs being created through a $7 million landscaping programme.
This is a four-year project and involves planting 1.5 million mostly indigenous, locally sourced plants alongside the expressway. It will be one of the largest planting projects the lower North Island has seen.
Because this project will create around 1000 jobs, there are several training programmes available to up-skill jobseekers for this work.
A 10-week infrastructure programme based at Porirua is underway for 25 people, and 40 places will soon be available at WelTec for an infrastructure and construction programme.
Further funding is available to employers through Skills for Industry to train job seekers to use large machinery onsite or obtain Heavy Traffic licences.
The expressway is creating work for all kinds of professions, everything from traffic planners to engineers to archaeologists and environmental planners.
Once complete the expressway will provide even more of an economic boost as it links with Transmission Gully to the south and roading improvements all the way north to Foxton.
It will mean producers getting their goods to market more quickly, less congestion and fewer accidents, and will encourage more people to live in and visit our region.
Better transport links for Kapiti are long overdue and it’s exciting to see this finally happening.
From my diary:
*Cabinet is on Monday.
*The House is sitting this week.
*On Wednesday I am in Queenstown attending the Alliance Meat Conference.
*On Friday I will be doing a tour of Horowhenua growers with Horticulture NZ
This is an important part of the $630 million Mackays to Peka Peka Expressway, which is tracking ahead of schedule.
As well as saving time, the expressway is already creating new jobs in our region.
Just one example is the 60 new local jobs being created through a $7 million landscaping programme.
This is a four-year project and involves planting 1.5 million mostly indigenous, locally sourced plants alongside the expressway. It will be one of the largest planting projects the lower North Island has seen.
Because this project will create around 1000 jobs, there are several training programmes available to up-skill jobseekers for this work.
A 10-week infrastructure programme based at Porirua is underway for 25 people, and 40 places will soon be available at WelTec for an infrastructure and construction programme.
Further funding is available to employers through Skills for Industry to train job seekers to use large machinery onsite or obtain Heavy Traffic licences.
The expressway is creating work for all kinds of professions, everything from traffic planners to engineers to archaeologists and environmental planners.
Once complete the expressway will provide even more of an economic boost as it links with Transmission Gully to the south and roading improvements all the way north to Foxton.
It will mean producers getting their goods to market more quickly, less congestion and fewer accidents, and will encourage more people to live in and visit our region.
Better transport links for Kapiti are long overdue and it’s exciting to see this finally happening.
From my diary:
*Cabinet is on Monday.
*The House is sitting this week.
*On Wednesday I am in Queenstown attending the Alliance Meat Conference.
*On Friday I will be doing a tour of Horowhenua growers with Horticulture NZ