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Rail set to boost northland’s prosperity
Northland had become New Zealand’s Cinderella of the regions. Through lack of investment in Northland’s infrastructure, unemployment prevailed, bringing with it the social problems of poverty.
With investment in rail by the Labour-New Zealand First Coalition government, producers in Northland will soon be able to reduce costs, encourage more investment and move goods to markets at competitive prices.
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Small investment for large gains with rail
Until last year the North Auckland railway line was a joke. After years of neglect through privatisation and a policy of“managed decline” under the last National – Act- Maori–United Future Government, the line speed had dwindled to just 45kph, or lower! The line was unable to accommodate newer and larger locomotives or modern Hi Cube containers. Now, with investment of $150 million from the Provincial Growth Fund, the line to Auckland is being brought up to the same standard as any main trunk line in New Zealand. With new bridges and higher tunnels, new locomotives and Hi Cube containers can be railed into Northland at higher speeds and passenger trains will return to Northland.
With more targeted investment, a line could be built to Northport. In 2006 when the Whangarei port was transferred to Marsden Point, rail lost 6000 tonnes of freight per week. That freight all transferred to large trucks and has grown to about 10,000 tonnes or more now. Most of that is logs that were railed from inland ports at Dargaville, Otiria and Wellsford. New roads were built to the port, but the strategic missing link, a railway line,was never built. Northport will never maximise its potential without a rail connection. Currently, over 600 standard 20 foot equivalent containers are railed from Auckland to the Port ofTauranga every day, because the infrastructure is there, but nothing to NorthPort. New Zealand has the most expensive roads in the world to maintain because of our volcanic soil structures, yet businesses in Northland are forced to export by inefficient road transport. Rail to Northport will enhance the Northland economy and create hundreds of jobs during the construction phase and help the region in the Covid recession.
Provincial Growth Fund revitalising Northland’s railways
The last National government put what little investment they gave to transport into a handful of highways serving just 4% of traffic nationally, which just resulted in an increased number of dangerous trucks on the road.
According to the Ministry of Transport, trucks contribute only 23% of their infrastructure costs.Afurther $1 billion is paid by motorists, another $1 billion by ratepayers and this is topped up by a further $1.5 billion by taxpayers. Investment in our railway system provides the cheapest, safest and most environmentally friendly form of transport and which also reduces congestion on, and damage to, roads.
KiwiRail, which has had to pay for most of its own infrastructure costs has now, under the current Labour-NZ First coalition, had considerable extra investment through the PGF to catch up on past neglect and to bring the railway back up to a fit for purpose state. A large part of this reinvestment has been in Northland. The current rebuild to Auckland will be completed before Christmas, and next year, work starts on the line between Whangarei to Otiria whereanew container and log terminal is being developed providing many more jobs to the region. Remember, thise line was closed by the previous National-Act-Maori partyUnited Future coalition.
High value rail tourism for Northland
Now with the current investment it will be possible for tourist trains from Auckland to be developed and eventually trains, in the longer term could bring tourists off cruise ships from either NorthPort or the Bay of Islands to Whangarei. So with an upgraded rail line to Auckland and access by rail to two ports, many more high-end tourists could access Northland’s attractions.
The Provincial Growth Fund has served Northland well. It is important to keep the current pro-rail government in place, otherwise investment in Northland will once again languish.
AUTHORISEDBY: W.BUTSON, PO BOX 1103, WELLINGTON6140
NORTHLAND RAILWAY INVESTMENT WELCOMED
On behalf of Northlanders we thank the Coalition Government for recognising the importance of our railway network. • More trains = less dangerous large trucks = safer roads • Rebuilding Northland’s railways for Freight, Tourism, Jobs • Re-opening Kauri to Otiria railway line 2021
