“The reopening of the Wairoa to Gisborne line is important to the Gisborne community and to businesses,” was another “yes” supporting comment.
“It will allow the re-introduction of non-time sensitive non-bulk, semi-bulk and bulk freight and inter-regional passenger train services between Gisborne and Napier connecting with other passenger regional and inter-regional passenger services to Hastings, Palmerston North, Masterton and Wellington.”
• “Yes, absolutely, and there are several private railway operators who would be willing to operate a business on the line once it's open. Companies who understand the value of having 30 little customers each providing one container a day instead of KiwiRail's insistence that the line have one customer with 30 containers.”
• “The rail connection to Gisborne is the Government's responsibility. KiwiRail has been tasked with trying to make a profit. Building rail infrastructure would hinder that.
• “The Government needs to step up and release money from the NLTF (National Land Transfer Fund).”
• “KiwiRail has all but washed its hands of the line north of Wairoa (except for continuing to extract payments from GCVR and RailBikes for ‘Right to Occupy') and should relinquish its entitlement to determine the future of the line. ' “There is a strong argument for separating above-rail operations from below-rail infrastructure. NZTA Waka Kotahi should provide the funds and enable this region to take on the responsibility for restoring its rail corridor.”
• “This could break the current impasse with KiwiRail seemingly not willing to take on the repair of the railway line.” ' “KiwiRail's freight business would benefit from more freight being fed on to the rest of their network, but the Gisborne and Hawke's Bay regions will benefit even more, so an entity comprising representatives from the local authorities, as well as a geotech engineering consultant, and contractors, with KiwiRail overseeing, would be very motivated to repair and reinstate the line.”
• “Long term to reduce global warming, the reinstatement is a no brainer.”
• “Yes, to give an alternative route from Gisborne to Napier, to give alternative freight options, to get large numbers of trucks off the roads, save road maintenance costs, substantially reduce pollution, save lives and costs from road accidents. All of which have been put forward for years, while repair and replacement costs continue to escalate.”
• “No — even if rebuilt, the line would be expensive to maintain. Are ratepayers up for that?”
• “It wasn't supported before, and won't be supported this time around either. Most of our produce goes north.”
• “No — who will pay the $36 million to fix it.”
• “A waste of time and money.”
The ‘don't knows' had a comment too — “Sounds like something that would cause rates to go up even more.”
