Ō2NL REACTION - Antony Young, Chair, Horowhenua NZ Trust

Ō2NL REACTION - Antony Young, Chair, Horowhenua NZ Trust

“This is big. A bad decision is being made here,” Antony says.

“It’s ironic that this is feeling rushed, given how long this community has had to wait for this road, when the main reason for the cost blow out is delay.

“NZTA have confirmed that it is not a public consultation, that they are informing us of the changes to the proposal . . . all that prior consultation has gone out the window.

“So no consultation, plans fait accompli. This is completely unacceptable and arrogant.

“Supposedly, this is about saving money but they are essentially cutting corners, thinking short term without consideration to what was promised and what the community think.”

Antony says access in and out of Levin will hamper planned new housing developments, transport and distribution hubs, and potential new commercial opportunities for regional and local businesses.

Any cost savings the scaled-back plans make can be recouped by tolls and are dwarfed by the overall cost of the project, and the long-term financial benefit of not having to revisit it and remedy issues down the line.

“This could really be inhibitive to growth of the region. It defeats a lot of the improved efficiencies the expressway had promised to deliver. This short-term focus on cost is really damaging and going to create a lot of issues.

“It’s going to create congestion, which is exactly what the expressway should be designed to avoid.

“It’s undoing everything it is supposed to deliver to the district and those travelling through. This is not well-conceived and could create safety issues.

“This is an unbelievable example of cutting corners and short termism. You have to do this once and do it right.”