Opening of Stoke Bypass

Local iwi leaders and kaumatua from the prow of the waka of Maui, elder Pene Ruruku.
Your Worships the Mayors of Nelson City Paul Matheson, and Tasman District John Hurley, local MPs Nick Smith, Transit chairman Bob Browne, Michael Gross Transfund chair, Paul Hardy from Opus, Dave Faulkner from Fulton Hogan, business and roading interests, local schools, people of Nelson.
Tena Ra Koutou Katoa, Greetings, Talofa Lava.
And congratulations to all of you on your new bypass.
This is my first opening as Minister of Transport and I'm delighted to be at one that really shows how a community can work together and realise a common goal.
Many of you will recognise the man who drove me here today.
Taxi driver Mike Rodwell was one of many locals alarmed by the congestion on Main Road Stoke.
He was worried about the safety of hundreds of students who had to navigate their way down a suburban street that saw more than twenty eight thousand vehicles travelling down it each day.
That's a lot of cars and it doesn't make crossing the road an appealing prospect for any pedestrian, young or old.
From what I've been told Mike and a number of others collected the signatures of close to twenty thousand people who also wanted a bypass.
The cooperation seems to have involved local mayors, councils even MPs – to the point where I understand Nick Smith and John Blincoe were issuing joint press releases.
It's taken a lot of negotiations and work but in a few minutes you'll be able to get to Nelson quicker and Stoke's main road will be safer for you and your families.

Safety is a key component of the development of a comprehensive national transport strategy this Government will be working towards. There has been great progress in bringing down our road toll in recent years. However, it is imperative that we continue to strive towards improving the safety standards of our roads, our vehicles and our drivers. Because the quality of roads is an essential part of this, Transit New Zealand has a vital role to play.

Of course there is never any shortage of demand for new roads and especially, improvements to existing roads such as more passing lanes, and this will require more road funding. This Government has signalled a desire to review the cost-benefit formula. As we do so I believe it is important that roading decisions be taken within the context of broader objectives – the economic, social - and environmental.

And while it's in the early stages, the Government is committed to developing a transport strategy that fits within this wider social framework. We want to ensure there are clear objectives guiding the development of roading infrastructure, investment in public transport, and so on, so that we get the best mix of transport modes. New Zealand is very geographically diverse and we must have a variety of transport solutions to meet this diversity.

Coming back to the opening of the Stoke Bypass today, there is no doubt that this is an impressive example of cooperation and effective relationships. The development and construction of this project meets both local and national needs and objectives. It illustrates that roading projects cannot afford to be planned in isolation of communities and people.

Planning for this project started in the 1960s .

Naturally, as the years went on there were extensive consultation, planning and identification of various options. Much of this occurred as demographics and road usage changed. It was through effective consultation and open communications that the best possible solution was found - to build a second strategic link between Nelson and Richmond which separated through traffic from local urban traffic.

This option was designed to achieve improved road safety for all road users, reduce congestion, minimise noise levels and eliminate the separation of the Stoke community by the state highway.

Equally important was recognition by everyone involved that environmental and cultural matters needed to be a major part of the plan. Issues addressed included protecting land of cultural significance, reclamation options, landscaping, reducing noise and mitigating the visual impact on the community.

Right from the start, Transit worked in partnership with over 18 different interested parties to ensure the needs of both the local community and national roading objectives could be met. This partnership approach should be held up as an example. It says a great deal about the determination and commitment of Transit but also of those other groups involved. I congratulate everyone for his or her efforts.

Way back in the 1960s I am sure that most involved in the fledgling project never envisaged the size and complexity of the construction that would take place. In less than three years this area has changed beyond all recognition with a new seven-kilometre bypass and significant changes on Main Road Stoke. But these changes are positive and will ensure that all road users travelling through the area are accommodated for.

In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of the people involved in this project.

Whether as a member of the community, a motorist travelling during the construction, or the parent of children who go to school on Main Road Stoke – congratulations and well done.

I'm sure you and your families will continue to reap the benefits of this project for many years to come.

I'd like once more to acknowledge the tangata whenua here, Kia Ora Koutou, many thanks and congratulations Nelson.