9 September 2011

Christchurch light rail passenger transport

A meeting on Monday will engage with the Draft Central City Plan - on its light rail system design, implementation schedule and costings especially. This is to better inform public submissions on the Plan, which close the following Friday. The meeting is organised by Sustainable Canterbury, a group active in Christchurch around water, energy, food and economic issues for the past two years.

A presentation will be made by Richard Worrall, a rail transport researcher and feature writer for The Press on the subject of light rail over the last fifteen years.

“Richard has been studying the best route, available equipment and price range for an urban light rail system in greater Christchurch,” says Sustainable Canterbury spokesperson Rik Tindall. The public are invited to “come and hear Richard’s informed and constructive views.”

Comparisons will be drawn between Worrall’s findings and what is in the Christchurch City Council’s draft plan.

“An invitation is extended to staff of the Selwyn and Waimakariri district, Canterbury regional and Christchurch city councils, who are responsible for this planning area, to attend as resource persons for this Q&A workshop,” Tindall says. “A laptop and data projector will be on-site for illustrative use, and a panel discussion may form.”

“We are mostly interested in the reasons behind starting with a city-to-Ilam link and the $410M total cost, and whether a cheaper, more productive alternative is available,” Tindall reports. “We want better information so that rate-payers can make up their own minds on the proposals in front of us now.”

The meeting will be held on 12 September, at 7.30 pm at the WEA, 59 Gloucester Street, with hot drinks provided. The next Sustainable Canterbury monthly organising meeting is on Sunday 25 September at 3pm, also at WEA.

Tindall, a former regional councillor who had Civil Defence and Communities for Climate Protection responsibility, sees sustainable transport as much more than a Christchurch City issue.

“We like the general tenor of the Draft Plan and its environmentally sustainable aspects. as there is great need to factor in global change, towards carbon capture and innovation for new jobs that will be funded by the international carbon market,” Tindall says.

“Regarding transport, sustainable use of natural resources is both possible and very desirable, bringing new industry and opportunity for unemployed youth in particular. We support the Greater Christchurch Urban Development Strategy, and see the need for cooperative good planning to proceed, adapting to earthquake effects,” Tindall concludes.

More information: Sustainable Canterbury - http://mauriroawaitaha.wordpress.com/meetings/

ENDS

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