Moana
MACKEY
Gisborne List MP
15 January 2013 MEDIA STATEMENT
Government must save rail line

The Government must step in and save the Gisborne to Napier rail line, in light of an independent report on its viability, says Gisborne based Labour MP Moana Mackey.

The BERL report raises serious questions about KiwiRail’s decision to mothball the rail line.

"The report highlights a number of inconsistencies in KiwiRail's analysis on the viability of the line and shows that far from being a lost cause, the line is very close to not just breaking even but actually being profitable.

“All that is lacking is the political will to support the line. Taxpayers own KiwiRail, and they expect Ministers to get the most out of their asset. If the mothballing goes ahead, more pressure and more logging trucks will go onto the region’s roads. It is just crazy to give up on rail.

"This is what our Mayor, council, business community and locals have been saying for a long time and now we have more evidence to back it up. This is an economic lifeline we cannot afford to lose and the Government should intervene.

"National must commit now to fixing and maintaining the Gisborne to Napier rail line. This report proves that the economic case stacks up.

“If the Government refuses to do so it will be a major blow for the Gisborne-Hawkes Bay region,” says Moana Mackey.

ENDS

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