More government cash for roads as rail line scrapped

The decision to close the Gisborne-Napier rail line is a direct result of the Government’s policy of pouring billions of dollars into motorways while setting KiwiRail up to fail, says Labour.

“The Government has got its transport priorities wrong. This is just the latest casualty” said Labour’s Transport spokesperson Phil Twyford.

“KiwiRail might be fronting the announcement but it is a political decision made at Cabinet level and has, without doubt been signed off by the Minister of Transport.

“It is the logical consequence of the unrealistic financial targets National has imposed on KiwiRail, expecting it to find $3.75 billion from its own balance sheet for capital expenditure.

“That policy has forced KiwiRail to sack 158 workers and defer network maintenance for three years, and now it has forced the closure of the Gisborne to Napier line.

“National’s obsession with motorways at the expense of other transport modes has left Gisborne stripped of an economic lifeline. It is ironic the Transport Minister has announced $4 million to be spent on the Gisborne-Napier highway, which is the same amount it would have cost the Government to repair the line after part of it was damaged by a slip.

“If Gerry Brownlee thinks he can sweeten the pill by spending $4 million on building a few passing lanes on a road, then he is clearly not in touch with local opinion,” Phil Twyford said.

Gisborne-based Labour List MP Moana Mackey described today’s announcement as a betrayal but said it was hardly surprising given the Government’s treatment of the thousands of people who had fought to save the line.

“Locals have pleaded to keep this section of line open. They have protested, they have petitioned the government. Yet each time they have been told there isn’t enough money in the coffers to fix it.

“No one should be fooled by KiwiRail talking about ‘mothballing’ the line. Any rail expert will tell you that once you mothball a line it is prohibitively expensive to open it down the track. Once it is closed, it is closed for good,” said Moana Mackey.