Vivienne Shepherd

Hello Brothers and Sister in Rail

Below and attached is letter about Rail which I have just sent to the Mayor and Councillors.

Will also send to The Papers as an open letter.

See you Wednesday.

Regards

Viv.

----- Original Message -----

From: vivshepherd@clear.net.nz

Sent: Monday, April 25, 2011 2:41 PM

Subject: Agenda Item 7 "Future of Rail in Northland" OPEN LETTER

Dear Mayor and Councillors,

I would like to take this opportunity to comment on the Agenda Item 7 "Future of Rail in Northland."

I have read the report by Mark Simpson and Vaughan Cooper.

This situation with rail stems from the failed privatisation of this strategic infrastructure transport asset.

Since privatisation in 1993, by the then National Party in government, the asset was stripped of its componentry, preventative and ongoing maintenance was not preformed, services were cut, effective marketing departments were not deployed to ensure client maintenance and the development of an expansive client base resulting in the culture of rail use decaying.

The progressive Labour-Progressive government of 1999-2008 had an eye on developing sustainable transport networks, to create security for our transport needs now and into the future. Our broken rail network was repurchased with a plan to re- develop and expand. Being cognisant of the fact that the fossil fuel era was reaching a peak, thus costs of fuel were going to increase rapidly. Knowing that in the medium term individuals running a family car would not be able to drive as freely as they had previously been able to do, due to cost, so in major metropolitan areas commuter rail was been paid significant attention. A new era of rail was developing.

Considerable work was done in Northland to look at future needs. It was ascertained that it was vital to have a rail link to Marsden Point. Plans were made through consultation between Kiwi Rail, Northland Regional Council and Whangarei District Council, you were involved and you supported it; land was purchased and consents approved. The work needed to improve the line from Auckland to Northland were determined and costed, you agreed.

In the “hey day,” of freight on rail 300,000 tonnes or 2% was carried annually as the port was in Whangarei harbour, and linked to the rail. Today freight on rail is 200,000 tonnes or 1.35% and no rail link to the port. It is glaringly obvious why freight volumes are down and that the solution is to build the line to Marsden. At a cost of $120 million spread over numbers of years, it is a small capital investment for the potential of a good return, when all contributing factors are included in the equations.

All this work is now being wasted with this proposition to mothball. Why have this good work done and then throw it away. What a WASTE.

Why is it in this country and this district we waste and waste our collective wealth?

In 2008 The National Party came into government, again, and scuttled the plans for sustainability. Instead, focusing on roads and especially roads termed of “National Significance.”

Focus was off rail and onto roads purely to pursue an ideology or was it that the trucking lobby makes substantial donations to the National Party coffers!

At no time in the documents (stated above) does the author (s) mention the costs of maintenance of the roads with this increased and ever increasing number of heavy haulage trucks-of course the tax payer or rate payer will fork out over and over again to repair! At no time does anyone raise the costs of accidents caused by heavy haulage trucks. I am sure that when these items are installed in the costing we see a very different picture. Also the taxpayer is subsidising the road user charges for the trucking. What if the tax payer ceases to subsidise the road user charges and the trucking companies have to pay the full costs of using the people’s roads. How does that alter the cost estimates?

This suggested mothballing is nothing but a closure. From a monetary perspective, why would a service which is breaking even, be shut down? Jim Quinn, Chief Executive Kiwi Rail, reported by Rosemary Roberts of The Northern Advocate on or about 16 Feb 2011 told councillors the cost of running the trains on the route was almost exactly the same as the service was earning ($8-9m) and that the route was ``a barely used asset in terms of the amount of investment.'' Why not get busy and invest in this “barely used asset” by installing a dedicated marketing department?

If it is mothballed who will pay the maintenance, as proposed by Mark Simpson, when the service is no longer able to earn a thing, because it is closed?

Instead of mothballing the line why not get on the job; implement the plan, instead of waiting for the invisible hand of the market to emerge with potential economic factors! Get on and create. Create the opportunities, drive the opportunities, and seize the opportunity.

The current National Party led government is borrowing somewhere between $300 to $600 million a week. To implement the plan would take less than one weeks borrowing. It would create jobs, it would open opportunities in business development, tourism and local passenger services, it would take heavy haulage off the roads creating safer journeys (less fear), innovations could develop. The government would receive GST. People would come off benefits as they would have work and the government would receive PAYE, Kiwi Rail in the North could make a profit, it is nearly there!

Over what time frame is the estimated $200 million for the upgrade of the Northland to Auckland line to be spread over? One year, two years, ten years? It is not a lot of money for capital infrastructure investment when you consider the virtual none return for the Holiday Highway-Puhoi to Wellsford, road of apparent national significance!

And one final point. You the Councillors were elected by the people to look after the interests of the people. You Mark Simpson are employed to serve the elected members. None of you are there to serve the ideology of the National Party.

There are over 3000 signatures on the petition SAVE THE NORTHLAND TO AUCKLAND RAIL LINE. Numbers grow every day. A part of your role is to listen to the people and the people are talking loudly and clearly. DO NOT MOTHBALL OUR RAIL. USE THE PLANS ALREADY CREATED AND GET OUR RAIL NETWORK OPERATIONAL NOW, FOR THE FUTURE. NO ONE CAN USE IT IF IT IS NOT THERE!

This story of OUR rail in not an economic issue. It is a deeply political issue and currently you the elected representatives have no will to implement the plan, to look after OUR interests.

Vivienne Shepherd

SAVE OUR RAIL

April 25, 2011.

13 Cypress Garden Place,

Onerahi,

Whangarei.

Ph: 436 2610, 021 656605

Email: vivshepherd@clear.net.nz