12. PHIL TWYFORD (Labour—Te Atatū) to the Minister of Transport: How much money is budgeted for spending on investigation and design on the roads of national significance in the next three financial years, over and above the $216 million that has been spent since 2009?

Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister of Transport) : Based on current forecast funding, the New Zealand Transport Agency has budgeted for $138 million over the years 2012 to 2015 for the investigation and design of roads of national significance. After 2015 there remains some $90 million to complete the investigation and design of current projects in the roads of national significance programme. This expenditure to date represents less than 3 percent of project costs of around $8.7 billion.

Phil Twyford: Will spending on consultants continue to make up 90 percent of expenditure on investigation and design work for the roads of national significance?

Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: Unfortunately, I missed the figure that the member—

Mr SPEAKER: It would help if the honourable member would repeat his question.

Phil Twyford: Will spending on consultants continue to make up 90 percent of expenditure on investigation and design work for the roads of national significance?

Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: The national Land Transport Management Act was amended in 2008, and section 97 requires that the New Zealand Transport Agency farm out as much of the work that it does as possible. That amendment was supported by both the Labour and Green parties.

Phil Twyford: How much of the $16 million spent on the investigation and design of the Pūhoi to Wellsford road of national significance was spent on the Warkworth to Wellsford section, and will this project be subject to the same value-for-money analysis as the Ōtaki to Levin project?

Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: I do not have that information to hand. I am happy to provide it for the member at another occasion.

Phil Twyford: Does he agree with Ken Shirley of the Road Transport Forum when he said that some of the roads of national significance are gold-plated and appear “to be absorbing all the investment funding in the land transport fund leading to inadequate money for renewal and upgrading of other state highways and local roads.”, and is he concerned that even the staunchest defenders of the roads of national significance are now deserting him?

Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: No, and I am quite sure that most of Mr Shirley’s members would not agree with him, either.