Subject; “PGF/BERL report confirms rail is essential to our East coast region”
The just released PGF/BERL rail viability report was the most comprehensive analysis of the rail transport option
conducted since the Gisborne rail line closed in 2012.
The PGF/BERL feasibility report is strongly favourable of restoring rail services in the report released today, so our
community request Gisborne Council must support it.
Why?
Because the 100 page BERL study outlines many reasons; https://berl.co.nz/research/reconnecting-gisborne
Most importantly for focusing on the ‘community wellbeing’ approach outlined in the four categories covered in the
‘Local Government wellbeing act,’ as the purpose of Local government is to consider; social, cultural, economic and
environmental tenants.
• Security of rail transport is essential to ensure our region’s economic growth for several reasons now confirmed
in the report.
•
• Choice of transport modality is important to export and industry activities as choice of transport drives down
transport cost due to competition.
•
• Cost of road maintenance and fatalities is also reduced by using rail.
•
• Lower climate change emissions is a big benefit when rail is used.
•
• Our community health and wellbeing in our whole community is enhanced using rail as a safe transport mode.
•
• Our export products will be labelled as a ‘lower carbon footprint’ product, attracting higher producer profit
from higher prices received globally.
•
•
• Winston Peters "Rail makes a vital contribution to urban public transport. Moving more freight by rail is
economically efficient, and reduces carbon emissions as well as deaths and serious injuries on our roads.
•
• Transport Minister Phil Twyford says funding in this year's Budget is just the first step to rebuilding rail as
the backbone of a sustainable 21st century transport network, with a long-term national rail plan to be developed this
year.”
•
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• Page 25; Recommendations -101
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• (1) The Ministers recommend that you note that rail contributes to the national and regional economic growth and
reduces emissions and congestion, reduces road deaths and injuries, facilitates wider social benefits and provides
resilience and connection between communities.
•
• (2) that you note the findings of the future of rail which recommend investment for resilient and reliable to
rehabilitate heavy rail network and Kiwi rails freight and ferry business which is critical to ensure that rail is
sufficiently resourced to deliver the benefits outlined in recommendation (1).
•
The PGF/BERL report is very welcome to the Gisborne people of Tairawhiti, who have the right to know finally the truth
of the importance of rail to our community’s health and wellbeing.
We all support the reopening of the rail line. as BERL’s report now confirms that it is viable.
To show our support for rail In a Gisborne Herald press rail poll conducted last April showed 85% of those polled wanted
rail services for freight and passenger services returned to Gisborne, and that is significant.
We are confident the new PGF/BERL 'Gisborne rail viability study' will finally be adopted and used to supporting the
re-opening of the Gisborne rail service again after seven long anxious years of suffering.
Why do we believe this?
Our past history will now reveal why?
The new BERL report was not "a whitewash" as our past Gisborne Councillor Manu Caddie called the failed 2014 MBIE/NZTA
rail feasibility study was.
We clearly saw that the NZTA/MBIE “whitewash study” was manufactured by Steven Joyce as an excuse to close rail as part
of his policy of eventually closing down all regional rail services as he favoured the roads more than rail as a
partnership.
Steven Joyce was nicknamed “The tarmac king” for obvious reasons and his ghost around parliament still lingered long
after he left government.
Until a brave champion of the provinces and his boss (Shane Jones and Winston Peters) stuck up for rail in our provinces
again.
So now due to these gentlemen’s support this time the new 2019 'BERL Gisborne rail viability study' will finally
include;
• the vitally essential rail evidence from the Government's own (Principal Advisor of all transport modes) called
the 'Ministry of Transport'
•
• With many rail viability reports contained as their references inside the BERL report.
•
• These were not included in 2014 by MBIE/NZTA “whitewashed” study that factually & deliberately omitted those important government documented studies from that last 2014 'botched whitewashed cherry
picked 'National Party' Gisborne rail report that MBIE/NZTA produced.
•
URGENT; Government needs to properly commit more funding of our ‘Ministry of Transport’ so they can adequately embark on ‘new
rail studies’ for our future security now also.
In 2014 the “ghost of Steven Joyce” that deliberately botched that last rail viability report was a savage blow then
against the hoped restoration of our Gisborne rail, and in turn severely injured the hopes and aspirations of all in our
Gisborne communities for the last five years.
Fact. Media wrongly call NZTA “The Transport agency”
• NZTA is not "the transport agency"
•
• NZTA is only a "road controlling agency" referred to as an (RCA) and NZTA should never again be used as a "rail
advisory agency" - as it only deals with promoting new regional roads for trucks and definitely not for rail freight, as
it regards roading as its only focus' so it was a mistake to use NZTA for an 'advisor' for rail in the first place.. .
•
• This 2014 rail report was a 'phoney report' full of omissions of evidence that would have supported rail, and
was designed only to silence the Mayors of HB/Gisborne during their efforts to collectively go directly to Parliament in
2013 with a Public Gisborne petition signed by 10480 community members requesting Government to repair the Gisborne rail
service.
•
• The last National Government in 2014 was caught off guard with the over welling public show of support for the
rail service that that they 'hastily cobbled together this phoney' "Gisborne Economic viability study" that was hollowed
out with a thinly veiled view that it may support the need to restore their rail service but with not enough evidence to
save the rail then, and we got stymied after the Mayors deputation to Wellington to meet with the then Minister of
transport Steven Joyce and his sidekick Gerry Brownlee at their office.
•
• The Mayors of HB and Gisborne were in fact given a big rat to shallow on that very day, and were given nothing
but false promises to produce a "Gisborne rail viability study" instead of a real promise to reopen the rail line in
2014.
•
Simon Bridges Gisborne press release September 2019.
Quote;
“You’ve been one of the lucky few with roading investments, which nearly always move the dial.’’
Speaking about the feasibility study suggesting the Wairoa-Gisborne rail line could have a freight future, Mr Bridges
said his issue was whether the funding would have greater effect in Tairawhiti if spent elsewhere.
National ‘‘would like to consider” having a water infrastructure fund directed at the productive sector and people
living in Gisborne city.”
Unquote.
Result from Simon Bridges press from National = (Ghost of Steven Joyce) + no rail.
Never again should we ever trust the National Government when it comes to supporting Gisborne or HB over protecting our
rights to have a rail service to our eastern provinces as it seems that ‘National are diametrically opposed to having a
well-balanced rail service to our remote regions in every sense of those words’.
CEAC–PGF Rail report confirms rail is essential to our East coast region.
Thank you Coalition Government for giving Gisborne/HB hope again for returning our rail service to us all.