“Government must give urgency to rail direction” - ARC

9 November 2000

The Auckland Regional Council’s Transport Committee today called on Government to “give urgency to developing a national rail policy framework”.

The Transport Committee voted today to urge the Government to work in partnership with the Auckland Region to facilitate public control of strategic rail corridors.

“We already have an agreement on the table with Tranz Rail to buy the rail corridors in the Auckland region, with a deadline of 8 December. We need to have clarity from Government by the 8 December deadline as to Government’s policy regarding this acquisition,” said ARC Transport Committee chairman, Les Paterson.

The motion passed by the Committee included a clause requesting consideration of the acquisition by Government of a controlling interest in Tranz Rail.

“There are several options open to Government to achieve public control of the rail corridors nationally. They include Government buying the whole company; buying the rail network separately to the rail services, or working in partnership with regions such as Auckland to enable us to purchase the parts of the network that we require to improve passenger services,” said Mr Paterson.

“The Government needs to consider all of these issues urgently from Auckland’s perspective. We have a live deal on the table that will work for the region and we call on Government to resolve the national questions with great urgency, before 8 December,” said Mr Paterson.

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For further information please call:
ARC Transport Committee chairman Les Paterson, phone 366 2000
or Jo Mackay, community relations adviser, phone 366 2000 x 8041

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