Transport Minister Simeon Brown received a belated birthday cake adorned with a photo of the Ashburton Bridge, from Rangitata MP James Meager. Photo: LDR / Jonathan Leask
The Transport Minister is not ruling out introducing a toll on a second Ashburton bridge - either on the new bridge or existing State Highway 1 crossing - to help pay for its construction.
Simeon Brown was been given a belated birthday cake late last week, adorned with a picture of the Ashburton Bridge in a not-so-subtle reminder from his colleague.
Brown visited Ashburton on Friday to open the office of Rangitata MP James Meager and the Fairfield Freight Hub.
Meager presented Brown with the cake with a extra sweetener - a photo of the Ashburton Bridge as a reminder about the proposed second bridge project.
The bridge is listed as a road of regional significance and the Minster said he wants all funding options on the table and has not ruled out the option of introducing tolls to help pay for its construction.
During his visit, Brown was asked repeatedly about the plans for Ashburton's second bridge - including a sit-down with Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown.
At the office opening, the minister said he had been impressed at the over-sized novelty scissors used to cut the ribbon that had been borrowed from Mayor Brown.
The mayor was quick to quip that the minister was more than welcome to use them again when he opens the second bridge.
The bridge has been included in the re-draft of the government policy statement on land transport, which sets the direction for NZTA Waka Kotahi.
Minister Brown said he did not have an update while it was going through the process.
"The next step is for NZTA to put the national land transport programme together," Minister Brown said.
"We are obviously committed to the project, and that process will identify when and how it will be delivered."
The question remains how it will be funded, and by who.
As it is not a State Highway but a local road project, the minister suggested there would be a requirement for the council to contribute.
The process will provide the answers around how it's funded, who is funding what, and when construction will begin, he said.
With myriad of infrastructure projects required around the country, the government is looking at "a range of funding and financing tools".
"All of our roads of national significance should be tolled.
"Part of that is so we can protect the maintenance budgets, particularly for rural state highways, and rural and local roads, because we need to make sure we are doing a much better job of maintaining what we have currently got."
The direction to NZTA Waka Kotahi was that all options should be on the table for funding the bridge, he said.
"The reality is there is only a limited amount of money in the land transport fund and so we need to look at all funding and financing tools to get things happening.
"Funding is part of the puzzle but consenting has become another challenge which can delay projects by years."
The government is looking to pass fast-track consent legislation that could help expedite the bridge construction when the time comes.
Mayor Brown said he had a good discussion with minister around ways the bridge can be funded, and those discussion over funding options will now take place between NZTA and the council.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.