A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
Labour’s Meka Whaitiri makes a good point when she describes the Government’s financial support for elements of the Tairawhiti Economic Action Plan as “attempting redress of nine years of Government neglect”. National learned how vulnerable it was on this at the Northland by-election, and responded with the Regional Growth Programmethat resulted in this week’s launch of a plan charting the path ahead for Te Tairawhiti for the next five years.
However, the claim it is also a “piecemeal approach” is moot. While $7.3 million is small in the grand scheme, it does facilitate some key priorities in a plan developed locally. The need for major transport investment has also been acknowledged, with Economic Development Minister Simon Bridges saying the $7.3m is a “down-payment” on what the Government will deliver after an Integrated Transport Priority Plan is completed later this year.
Now, obviously central government transport priorities could change after the September 23 election. But key stakeholders will have done the work on what is needed here, and all-important roading priorities will be decided.
It’s no surprise Labour and the Greens are critical of the action plan for not including restoration of the rail line. It is political reality that Labour has to support reopening the line, even though it has appeared lukewarm on the idea, as all its potential partners would likely make it a bottom line.
The claim local exporters are crying out for a general rail-freight service is questionable, though. Several could be named, but not enough to come close to making the line financially viable.
Central government subsidising a rail line is not required to unlock the region’s economic potential. It certainly wasn’t found to be by the business, iwi, economic development and council partners who put together this action plan.
If the plan achieves what it aims to, in three or five years there could be enough freight to support a rail service or investment in coastal shipping infrastructure. It is difficult to see the latter happening, though, if the risk remained of sharing limited freight with a subsidised rail competitor.
