wake up kapiti. you are now a large town, not a nature reserve, not a retirement village. young families out on the coast want jobs and opportunities. our communty is held at ransom by a few greenies who believe that they speak for the majority. well they dont. we want to develop into a modern town with great transport and great businesses, and airports

the leftest-green movement is over, we now vote for the future, not to live in the past. lets get a modern major with modern thinking that wants to move our region forward, into the future.

A major airport development gets a green light, just sails through the environment courts despite strong opposition from the residents, original land owners and people who don’t want this the ecology of this area destroyed. A country that is still in a recession now launches a 2 billion dollar road upgrade, right past this new airport development "hello". It only took a change of government to get this kick started. The fact the Kapiti Coast is one of the few nature reserves we have left means nothing to these money hungry devious people. We don't need more cars on the road or more planes in our skies- we need better public transport as this creates jobs and builds strong, high quality education systems create employment.

Sam douglas #35 - muppets really??? Why should less than 1 percent of 1 percent of the population of 4 mil be able to dictate to the rest, and keep NZ infrastructure in a near 3rd world state? This has been in the planning since the 1960's and while the route wasn't fully decided upon it was public record to know it was going to happen at some stage. While i dont' believe the route is the best choice it is however, the cheapest one. This is what you get when the nz puplic are constantly crying about how much things cost apposed to the quality or future planning of a project. If cost wasn't an issue they wouldn't go through your neighbourhood.

I can't believe some of these comments! It is because we see a future on the coast, a currently stunning, peaceful and safe community, that we strongly object to a motorway splitting it in half. For those who use the 4-lane western link road as an argument, there's a big difference between that (where 70km/hr would be the maximum) and an expressway where trucks will be hurtling along it at 100km/hr +! If you don't see a future on the coast, then pack up and leave. We'll fight this every step of the way.

At last. The beginning of a first world highway network in NZ.

All that needs to happen now is to extend it all the way to Auckland and then build a similar one from Picton to Christchurch.

A terrible waste of taxpayers money that NZ simply cannot afford. By the time this elephant is completed, petrol will no doubt be over $5 per litre and the taxpayer will be with the debt. Not the 40,000 odd that might use it in Kapiti - it will be everyone in New Zealand. Very disappointing. At least the truckies will be happy (I hope). FAIL.

Why dont we just ban cars and let them use the train?

Bring on the Sandhills Motorway! Shame on those who implicitly claim our lethally inadequate roads are somehow tolerable by objecting to the creation of a safer, more reliable network. Go on then you woolly woofters, vote with your feet and create some space for those who see a future in the Coast rather than only the past. That goes doubly for the mayor. Her glass is clearly half-empty - what a shame she can't see the full half!

Well done firstly on honouring your commitment to make an announcement before xmas and secondly your decisions are correct.After many years of no plans for infrastructure we finally have a gov't prepared to take the big decisions. Please make a 2nd bridge over the Waikanae river your first priority. Well done Steven Joyce.

Great that there is finally a decision. And its the best choice for SH1, the country's main lifeline, I believe.

Just hope the Council hasn't lost all its mana with NZTA through backing the wrong horse, and can still negotiate for a local bridge alongside the new WLR highway bridge plus railway station upgrades, using with some of the money saved from NZTA's original two options. That would give us the best of both worlds.