Media Briefs

16 December 2015

Briefs from Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Meeting

Napier-Gisborne Rail Line Update

An alternative proposal from the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council to reopen the Napier-Gisborne Rail Line is being considered by KiwiRail has Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Text

The line was mothballed three years ago, after storms caused severe damage, which is expected to cost close to $4 million to repair.

KiwiRail is evaluating the proposal from HBRC, which would see the council taking responsibility for the line and KiwiRail contracted to provide and operate the rail services, initially based on carrying logs from Wairoa to Napier Port. It is envisaged some of the revenue from such activity would help council maintain the line.

KiwiRail hopes to make a decision on the proposal by the end of February next year.

Independent Peer Review of Ruataniwha Water Storage Scheme Business case

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has commissioned Deloitte to undertake a final peer review of the business case for the Ruataniwha Water Storage Scheme. The review will be completed and presented to council at the same time as the adoption of the final two conditions for the scheme, which are water uptake and confirmation of investors.

New Mountain Bike Park for Central Hawke’s Bay

Central Hawke’s Bay is to get a new mountain bike park after HBRC agreed to lease a forestry block to the Rotary Rivers Pathways Trust for 10 years. The trust expects to invest up to $300,000 on the design and development of the park, which will include routes for riders of various skills.

Section 36 Charges

A consultation process around the fees charged to those holding HBRC resource consents has shown a better understanding of the charging methodology is a key to people being more comfortable with the current charging model. Following further consultation, there was no clear preference for changing the model for charging, however, staff will continue to communicate with stakeholders and signal any changes through the annual planning process.

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