The Government’s previous announcement that it will invest in recycling and change the waste levy to reduce our waste is 100% supported by CEAC, and further consideration must also be given to the ‘transportation of this hazardous waste in using regulatory rules such as the “Waste Minimisation Act” Waste Minimisation Act 2008 and ‘Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996’

CEAC advocate to use environmentally safe rail to transport waste not road transport as roads are shared by the public who may become exposed to hazardous waste pollution, as the environment also may be exposed to increased truck pollution from engine and tyre dust emissions that are washed off roads into drains, waterways rivers lakes, estuaries and aquifers and into our drinking water.

These are bold and important steps that also will create employment in communities right throughout the country, reduce emissions and address the crisis in plastic waste and food wastes, offal and should be transported by rail rather than by road safely though NZ thus reducing harm and spillage and pollution to our rivers, lakes and coastal waterways.

Imagine following behind an offal or rubbish truck with aerosols being released from that waste and you are breathing that in?

A Greener, Smarter Future; climate change policy’, is needed here yet the waste reduction scheme is lacking in substance without any clear policy of how to safely transport the waste and by rail is the best option here.

Government has the option as owner of the rail network to Allow “open access” to the network. This would enable other operating companies to utilise the network in competition with KiwiRail operations, especially on routes where KiwiRail declines to offer a service. All operators would pay access fees to the government-funded “NZ Rail Network” company.

The Minister for Transport, as sole shareholder of KiwiRail, is in an influential position to make these changes. I'm sure he would have the full support of the Minister for State Owned Enterprises and the Minister for Regional Development. Maybe the Prime Minister should get them seated at the same table and tell them to get on with it.

Message to James Shaw before he departs from COP 26 climate change conference soon.

Government needs solid plans for saving our climate in all issues they plan in future, and listening to the latest statements by James Shaw Minister for climate change on TV3 Nation interview, never uttered one word about rail transport.

Glancing at National’s ‘Greener Transport plans’; - National only seems to support a Government policy for building yet more roads, because not one word was used to mention “rail freight” with them. National failed there too.

We need regional NZ rail to reduce the alarming increasing rate of truck freight emissions & diesel particulate air pollution as road freight transport is a large use of fuel and emitter of carbon emissions & air pollution confirmed by these studies, (1); (2)

We propose to them to get on track for cutting freight transport emissions elevating clean ‘Rail Transport’ over truck transport, for moving more freight by rail, which would thereby keep CO2 ‘climate emissions’ at a far lower levels.

CEAC has carefully reviewed this subject and now has strongly requested that rail with steel wheels and if electric motivated is the best way to reduce our freight transport pollution emissions, and we are calling for Greg Miller to be replaced by a “rail friendly manager” that will contribute to expanding rail for long-term meaningful climate change action in New Zealand.

CEAC request Kiwi Rail review their policy on Climate change again as we encourage Government to switch to increasing electrification of our rail fleet when you need to purchase locomotives in future as your current logic buying diesel engines is against your own climate change policy to “move to a low-emissions future” for future generations to benefit from coupled together with the health and well-being of our planet and our citizens.

Government ministers of finance and SOE’s both need to ‘re- nationalise our public railway’ as it was during the 1980’s and lead it with a the responsibility of another ‘Minster of rail’ again to lower climate emissions and use of waste transportation is a Greener, Smarter Future.

CEAC - adds our support to Government for elevating clean ‘Rail Transport’ over truck transport, for moving more freight onto rail when considering the benefits; thereby keeping our CO2 ‘climate emissions’ at a far lower levels, potentially stabilising climate changing weather events, saving taxpayer spending, keeping all our public highways /local roads safer, reducing road surface destruction from trucks causing immense road/bridge surface damages, and saving taxpayer costs from rising from paying for every day on roads all around our country providing us with all positive outcomes.

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