Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey says the North Canterbury community feels over-consulted and short-changed in delivery when it comes to the State Highway 1 corridor through Woodend.

“The Transport Agency has finished yet another round of community consultations in December around how safe residents feel about using State Highway 1 in Woodend. How many times do they have to say they don’t feel safe?

“Instead of the four-lane, continuous motorway from Belfast to Pegasus, with separation of traffic and a Woodend Bypass, which residents were looking forward to after National’s announcement last year of the second generation of Roads of National Significance, all they have received is another round of consultations. This is because Government has chosen to instead prioritise public transport projects in Auckland.

“I constantly have residents in my office saying they don’t feel safe with the heavy traffic and freight thundering down SH1 right through the centre of their town when their only means of crossing over is a courtesy crossing. We all know that after the earthquakes, traffic volumes have hit trigger point in Woodend for this project.

“Our residents do not even have a date for the recommendations of this latest consultation to come back to them.

“I have taken our residents’ voices to Parliament, right to the Transport Select Committee, with a petition, but Government is not listening. It’s time to call ‘enough’ to road crashes on this dangerous section of SH1.

“I will continue fighting for roading solutions for our region, working alongside our residents, and my plea to Government is to please listen before there’s more carnage.”