Durham Havill
"Interesting'' was all Queenstown Mayor Vanessa van Uden
had to say after a meeting in Queenstown yesterday with a
deputation from Westland District Property Ltd promoting a
160km toll road between Haast and Hollyford.
The deputation, led by company chairman Durham Havill, has
spent two days in the South, sounding out support for the
road that would reduce travelling time between the West Coast
and Milford Sound but potentially take some tourist traffic
away from Queenstown and Wanaka.
Mr Havill said support from a meeting of about 60 people in
Te Anau had been ''extremely positive''. Southland District
Council members also met the deputation and Southland Mayor
Frana Cardno said the road idea was likely to be on a council
agenda early in the new year.
''I think council's quite positive about the road ... but we
didn't vote on it.
''Certainly, there are quite a few people in Southland that
are pretty enthusiastic about the road.''
Mr Havill has previously stated the Westland District Council
company has a memorandum of understanding with overseas
financiers for the $220 million needed to build the road. A
toll of $20 per head would apply each way.
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