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REVEALED: KiwiRail Painting Over Failure With $87,000 Kitty-Cat And Cultural Murals
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through an Official Information Act request that KiwiRail has spent $87,259 on murals—including a “kitty mural” and various cultural artworks—while Wellington commuters continue to endure delays, cancellations, and fare hikes.
Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator Rhys Hurley said:
“Wellington commuters should be fur-ious that KiwiRail is prioritising feel-good pet projects while services go to the dogs.”
“After clawing a 10% fare hike out of commuters in 2024, followed by another 2.2% increase this year and cuts to off-peak discounts, KiwiRail’s focus clearly isn’t on making life easier for commuters—it’s apparently on painting staff members’ cats all over train stations.”
“KiwiRail claims the murals will ‘bring colour, joy, and beauty’ to commuters and help deter graffiti. But if they really want to bring joy, they should cut the vanity projects and focus on delivering reliable trains at a fair price.”
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