The East-West highway connection project in Auckland is proving controversial. Several community groups are lodging appeals against the US$1.37 billion (NZ$1.85 billion) project, despite it having been approved recently by the New Zealand: Government. The groups appealing against the highway link project now include Jackson Electrical, Mercury Energy, the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, iwi Ngati Whatua and The Onehunga Enhancement Society (TOES).
A serious problem with driving under the influence is now being seen in New Zealand. For the first time ever, drivers under the influence of drugs have been involved in a greater number of serious crashes than those under the influence of alcohol. As a result, more people were killed as a result of drug use than alcohol use in road crashes in New Zealand during 2017. This worrying fact highlights the problem with illicit drug use in New Zealand. The result of the research into road deaths has been revealed
New Zealand is increasing its budget for road safety measures. Included in the plan for the 2018/2019 period will be a series of upgrades to noted danger spots on local roads as well as improving intersections. The budget will now be US$2.76 billion (NZ$4 billion), an increase from the $2.48 billion (NZ$3.6 billion) for the 2017/2018 period.
The New Zealand Government is planning a road improvement programme worth a total of US$7.68 billion (NZ$10.05 billion). The plans will see 10 of the country’s busiest road links being classified of National Significance. A combination of financing from the National Land Transport Fund and public-private partnerships will pay for the various projects being included. One of the highways to be improved will be the Napier-Hastings highway in Hawke’s Bay, with it being widened to four lanes to boost capacity.
