Local and particularly central goverment are the key players in whether the district’s rail line will be restored because this is a political decision. Despite the suggestion of such, there is no private enterprise putting its hand up yet for the council to “get out of the way of”.
The years-long machinations that led to the decision to reinstate the Wairoa to Napier line is instructive as that was presented as a private shorthaul venture (for the whole line first) that never eventuated. It got across the line, so to speak, through a Napier Port subsidy for KiwiRail, then needed further support from the new Government.
Council staff responses to rail-related submissions to its Long-Term Plan provide insights into the council position.
In response to the Tairawhiti Rail Ltd submission on the need for rail as another freight option, for it to be included as an integral component of our Regional Transport Plan, and for GDC to reaffirm its support for an urgent rail feasibility study, council officers replied:
“The new Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2018 has a higher priority on safety and accessibility. However our understanding of the GPS is that there are transitional provisions related to rail included and these are focused on passenger rail rather than freight. This has very little application to the Tairawhiti context. Government will review the GPS again in 2019 and look to consider wider application of rail including perhaps freight transport . . . . The draft RLTP states depending on central government direction, council may consider rail freight options as part of an integrated response to meeting community needs for a safe, sustainable and affordable transport system.”
