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The slip in the Manawatu Gorge - Source: ONE News -
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The Labour MP for Palmerston North says the closure of Manawatu Gorge is costing the local economy around $60,000 a day.
The Gorge has been closed since August last year after a series of landslips caused hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of rock and debris to block the road and fill the Manawatu River.
The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has since said that the enormous landslide, which blocked the State Highway link, is taking longer to clean-up than expected, and will not reopen until the middle of the year.
Palmerston North MP Iain Lees-Galloway said the closure of Manawatu Gorge needs to be addressed by the National government, as it is having a significant impact on local businesses.
Lees-Galloway said the link between Palmerston and Napier is very important, and having the road closed is affecting businesses.
Galloway adds that the problem has been overlooked by the government.
"The minister (Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee) must listen to residents and businesses and get his officials to analyse the options for a more resilient road link east of Palmerston North," he said.
- with Newstalk ZB
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