1. We note the announcement on consultation on options for a four-lane expressway through the Kapiti district. This introduces new options to the long-running debate around both roading options out of Wellington and connectivity within the Kapiti district.

2. In the wider context of existing agreements and progress on the Western Link Road (WLR), resolving the issue of how to progress Transmission Gully (or the coastal route) should be a much higher priority within the Levin to Wellington Airport corridor.

3. The WLR in its current form will significantly offload traffic from State Highway 1 (SH1), delaying the need to upgrade the corresponding sections of SH1. This was one of the points supporting previously agreed funding for the WLR from Government.

4. Given the apparent difficulties with finding a funding solution for Transmission Gully (question to Hon Steven Joyce in Parliament, 25 June 2009), it seems counter-productive to propose new, more expensive options to the MacKays Crossing to Peka Peka sector.

5. Allowing the WLR to proceed in its current form, along with progress on Transmission Gully would provide a four lane highway from Wellington through to Raumati, with SH1 and WLR providing similar capacity through to PekaPeka. The lower overall cost should allow the projects to be funded and delivered sooner, enabling the benefits and return-on-investment earlier.

6. There has been a significant investment in the WLR by the Kapiti district, with more than $30m spent and the major consents granted. This announcement completely undermines that momentum, delays the start to project work, and sets back progress within the wider Kapiti district.

7. Getting agreement on the WLR process has been a long arduous process. Re-opening this debate consigns the Kapiti district to many more years of expensive consultation through to and likely including court action from disaffected parties (if the WLR process is anything to go by).

8. The WLR intentions were well signalled for over 50 years, allowing both the district to plan around it and individuals to make investment decisions. The options proposed in the expressway consultation are new and significantly impact individuals who have made decisions in very recent times.

9. The lack of an interchange at Paraparaumu is very surprising. This will impact significantly on existing businesses, planned investment and even the emergency services. If it were to proceed as shown, it would also force more traffic onto local roads to reach the Paraparaumu commercial area.

10. Both of the proposed options in the expressway consultation impact on significant numbers of residential homes, either requiring acquisition in the coming years (with shorter term impacts on the ability to resell in the meantime) or through the likely appearance of a four lane expressway.

11. Many of us have made our most significant investment (our homes) with lifestyle in mind. The expressway options presented will dramatically impact that lifestyle for many of us.

12. We implore you to work on behalf of your constituents to reconsider the overall thinking behind this consultation process. The options presented dramatically impact large numbers of people on the Kapiti coast either as affected landowners, or in delaying the benefits from the existing WLR project. We believe the existing WLR project combined with action on Transmission Gully is a more economically feasible path which will deliver benefits earlier without undertaking another lengthy debate throughout the community.