Restore Passenger Rail supporters climbed to the top of the Mt Victoria tunnel in Wellington. Video / NZ Herald
Two people have been charged with wilful trespass and criminal nuisance for abseiling above the Mt Victoria tunnel during peak traffic, forcing the closure of the road in both directions.
Transport Minister Michael Wood blasted the rail protesters who have caused traffic chaos across Wellington in recent weeks, calling their actions "dangerous, stupid and counter-productive".
The pair are part of the Restore Passenger Rail movement which has blocked roads four times in the last fortnight.
Wood told NZME the Government is working with plenty of other railway advocates who he says push the Government to "do more and do it faster".
"We sit down with them, and we're making progress – this stuff does exactly the opposite.
"These people and others who have recently granted themselves the right to disrupt people in large numbers – people like Brian Tamaki marching across the Harbour Bridge – need to reflect a little bit on how their actions affect others."
Wood went on to say he thinks the protesters are just "enraging people" who might otherwise support their cause.
The vital traffic link in Wellington was closed for an hour this morning after the protest action.
The scene this morning at the tunnel. Photo / NZ Herald
Two activists from the Restore Passenger Rail group hung a banner outside the entrance to the Mt Victoria tunnel, after abseiling from a slope above the road around 7.35am today.
Police closed the tunnel about 9 am and reopened it about 10 am, after taking two protesters into custody.
Wellington Area Commander Inspector Dean Silvester said officers acted fast to reduce the risk to public safety.
"Abseiling onto a road is not only unsafe for those individuals, but also for motorists."
The Mt Victoria tunnel is a vital link between the eastern suburbs and airport and the CBD, carrying thousands of cars during rush hour.
Traffic was diverted through Newtown and around Evans Bay, with queues and delays on both routes.
An officer with abseiling equipment was among those at the scene and police also called in the fire service with a ladder truck to assist.
This is the fourth protest by the Restore Passenger Rail this month, with police arresting activists after two separate incidents on state highways in Wellington last week.
Te Wehi Ratana, a spokesman for the Restore Passenger Rail group, called for the Government to immediately restore passenger rail throughout the country.
"I'm up here sounding the alarm for urgent climate action," he said. "We're in a climate emergency."
