1 June 2007

Rail needs to be priority for fuel tax and carbon neutral city

The Green Party today strongly supported the call by the Chairman of the Wellington Regional Council to spend a significant amount of the proposed regional fuel tax upgrading the ailing rail network in the Wellington Region.

"Now that Wellington is about to commit to being New Zealand's first carbon neutral city, it's essential that upgrading and modernising our rail network should be the main focus for the region's transport strategy. Obviously the best way to reduce carbon emissions in Wellington is to increase the number of commuters travelling to and from the city by rail and public transport.

"That's why we agree with Councillor Ian Buchanan that upgrading the crumbling rail infrastructure is the urgent priority for the region, and must be the priority for any regional fuel tax," Green Party Wellington Transport Spokesperson Sue Kedgley says.

"The reality is that the rail infrastructure in Wellington is 60-70 years old, and it is unsafe as well as dilapidated. There are more than 2000 wooden poles that urgently need to be replaced, but Ontrack is only replacing 20 of them a year. That's why we have recently had train services in the region grinding to a halt because of rotting poles.

"Even with the extra money allocated in the Budget to assist with rail infrastructure in the Wellington region, years of neglect have taken a huge toll on the network. Unless we spend several hundred million dollars upgrading our 70 year old rail infrastructure, it will continue to disintegrate and the whole rail network will be put at risk.

"We will find ourselves in three years time with smart new trains and carriages, but without the basic infrastructure to support them.

"$35 million a year from the regional fuel tax isn't enough to make the basic improvements to the network that are urgently needed - let alone to allow for upgrading the rail network by double tracking and electrifying it through to Otaki, for example.

"If we are to transform our rundown suburban rail network into a modern commuter mass transit system, we will need to spend the regional fuel tax on public transport," Ms Kedgley says.

ENDS

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