The Government’s move to pour billions into potholes whilst remaining inactive on climate change does nothing to solve our transport system’s core problems.
“The coalition of climate deniers have their heads buried in potholes,” says the Green Party’s transport spokesperson, Julie Anne Genter.
“Pouring $4 billion into potholes might as well be money poured down the drain if we fail to confront the climate crisis and prevent a future filled with wave after wave of natural disaster.
“Simeon Brown created the hype around potholes but doesn’t have solutions to the real challenges our transport network is facing.
“The Minister really has no idea how our transport network works and what is needed to enable more people and goods to keep moving. Investment in rail, public transport infrastructure, and coastal shipping is a vital part of reducing pressure on our roads, reducing transport costs, and bringing down emissions.
“Other transport solutions are desperately needed to shift money away from repairing roads constantly. For $4 billion we could stop the damage in the first place by improving low emissions alternatives such as public transport, taking pressure off our climate and roading infrastructure.
“We desperately need funding to shift more heavy freight onto rail and coastal shipping rather than entrenching our dependence on roading.
“To plunge huge amounts of taxpayer money into something as short term in its impact as fixing potholes is simply throwing good money after bad. We need a government that has the guts to look at the long term needs of our country,” says Julie Anne Genter.
