Economy of town may be derailed

Kawakawa business owners say the town could slip back into decline if its vintage railway shuts down.

A decade ago the town's main street was lined with empty shops and its future seemed bleak - but it has since undergone an extraordinary revival, thanks to the twin attractions of the Hundertwasser toilets and the railway.

However, a volunteer shortage at the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Trust means the group is struggling to keep the trains running through the town's main street.

Operations manager Mike Bradshaw has warned that the railway could be forced to close if the situation does not improve.

The shortage of firemen, whose job it is to shovel coal and keep an eye on water levels and steam pressure, is especially acute. The trust currently has six engine drivers it can call on, but just one fireman.

Kawakawa Business and Community Association chairman Richard Duley said the railway was crucial to the town's future.

It was impossible to say how many tourists visited for the toilets and how many for the trains, but the strength of the railway was that it held them in town while they waited for a ride, encouraging them to visit cafes, shops and galleries.

"We wouldn't realise how important it is until it's gone, and then we'd regret it. It's not just economic, it's also part of the identity and the vibe of Kawakawa," Mr Duley said.

Railway trust chairman Johnson Davis, who is also Kawakawa's representative on the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board, said the railway had volunteers from Kaikohe, Kaitaia, Kerikeri, Mangonui, Okaihau, Rawhiti and Whangarei - but none from Kawakawa, despite a leaflet drop around the town calling for fresh helpers. Four hundred flyers were distributed without response.

"As a Kawakawa-ite I have to say I'm extremely disappointed," he said.

The Advocate understands the town has 147 able-bodied adults on the unemployment benefit.

Mr Bradshaw said "an awful lot" of shops closed down in 2000, the last time the trains stopped running.

-If you're interested in volunteering, call in at the station, phone Mike Bradshaw on 021 171 2697 or (09) 404 0450, or send him an email: mikethesteam@hotmail.com. Firemen can be men or women and only need to be over 16. The railway is also looking for painters, gardeners, guards and drivers.