14 September 2004

Rail Strategy on Right Track

“The Government’s draft rail strategy to 2014 released today, is on the right track”, said Cr Margaret Shields, Chairperson of Greater Wellington Regional Council.

“Wellington needs its urban rail services to be retained and enhanced over the long term. The proposed government rail strategy endorses this view and suggests ongoing rail support for our rail network”.

Wellington urban rail services carry over 10 million passengers annually and this number has been increasing by about 2% a year for the last 13 years. Greater Wellington is soon to announce its proposals to replace and refurbish the current urban rail rolling stock. The government’s rail strategy clearly supports the retention of urban passenger rail in Wellington and suggests ongoing funding support to assist Greater Wellington to achieve this.

“As we are about to finalise a long term contract with Toll NZ for the Wellington urban rail services it is heartening to know that government policy is right behind us”, said Cr Shields.

“This gives us the mandate we need to assure Toll NZ that government funding, through Transfund New Zealand, will be available throughout the length of the contract”.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>