Kia ora !
There is an article in Northern Advocate (28th of September 2011) on the Save the Northland To Auckland Rail Line petition - with the opportunity to make comments.
http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/news/10000-sign-petition-to-keep-/1118801/
12,899 people have signed our petition ( 28th of September 2011 ) - for a variety of reasons, among them being :
* The fossil-fuel based energy paradigm has changed, we need to respond accordingly - in view of the International Energy Agency's recent warning that peak oil actually ocurred in 2006 and that consequently governments need to urgently reduce their vulnerability to increasing oil prices,
Ensuring Northland's resiliance, sustainability, mobility and competitiveness are issues of strategic urgency, not political expediency.
*losing the potential for our rail network to be electrified and powered by locally generated electricity.
* New Zealand's commitment to the Kyoto Protocol on reducing greenhouse gas emissions,
*concerns about health ( 730 deaths @ $3.5 million per person )in Auckland in 2010 attributed to fine pm 2.5 particulate emissions from diesel
* concerns about road safety as freight transport by road is increased,
* Losing opportunites for rail heritage , luxury and destination tourism along the line between Opua in the Bay of Islands and Auckland.
* Losing the possibility that we can use trains to travel/commute through Northland to Auckland ( N.B. travelling by train is not 'down-time', is safer than travelling by road, and makes more economic sense.
*Losing economic opportunities such as those that will be created by the proposed, bought and consented Marsden Link to New Zealand's best deep water port, NorthPort at the entrance to Whangarei Harbour.
* losing the infrastructure to theives while the line is 'mothballed' ( as has been happening with the Rotorua Line )
If you can think of any other reasons or expand upon those given above, please consider contributing to the opinion thread following the article @ http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/news/10000-sign-petition-to-keep-/1118801/
For more information about the campaign to save the North Auckland and Dargaville Branch railway lines,
please go to : www.saveourrailnorthland.org.nz or e-mail us @ saveourrailnorthland@gmail.com
Alan Preston