Restore Passenger Rail protesters secure meeting with Transport Minister

Protesters who caused havoc across Wellington’s roads have secured a meeting with the Transport Minister after promising they would stop blocking traffic if a meeting was organised.

Restore Passenger Rail spokeswoman Rosemary Penwarden said the half-hour-long meeting will take place on December 6 - and if there’s not a commitment from Michael Wood, they’ll be back disrupting traffic once again.

She says if the government disagree with their proposal “that’s not going to be a good outcome for us.”

She says they’ll look at their possibilities and says it’s likely “the people of New Zealand have not heard the last of us.”

“We’re pleased the Transport Minister is prepared to meet. But will he show leadership at this time of Climate Emergency? Real leadership means restoring an affordable and accessible nationwide passenger rail service for the people of Aotearoa NZ.”

Penwarden said the group will not disrupt traffic up until this meeting as a gesture of good faith.

Up until this point the group had blocked roads across Wellington, including Transmission Gully, State Highway 1 in Johnsonville, and the Mt Victoria Tunnel.

In one protest the group climbed a gantry above State Highway 1 in Johnsonville and planned to join Parliament’s Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee to deliver their petition via Zoom.

However, they were not allowed to join while actively breaking the law.

Transport Minister Michael Woods has been firm in his criticism of the group, saying in October their actions were “dangerous, stupid and counter-productive”.

Wood earlier told NZME the Government is working with plenty of railway advocates who he says push the Government to “do more and do it faster”.