Regional council Notes

When the government delivers its budget there are some who rub their hands in glee and others who shake their heads in disbelief.  Never is everybody happy and this year’s offering was no exception.

Of course, an extra twenty-seven dollars a week will be a help for many, unless you are a pensioner then you miss out.  Having the government offering decent money for your old jalopy will no doubt be a carrot for some as well.

For Wairarapa though, what we were really hoping for was approval of the funding needed for our new trains, which of course, was not forthcoming.  Why?  Because it was not a priority for the government this year we were told.

This seems a bit odd given the climate change focus of the budget and the emissions reduction plan.  Transport is a big contributor to New Zealand’s emissions so surely improving public transport and taking private cars off the road should play a key role?  

What seems even stranger is that there has been massive investment in track upgrades over the last five years and the five million dollars required to do all the work for the business case was also government funded.  The business case ticked all the boxed for Treasury so why are we all dressed up with nowhere to go?

One of the problems it seems is that the Wellington region actually has a pretty good public transport system overall compared with other parts of New Zealand.  Of course there are gripes and shortcomings but there has been consistent investment in our systems over the years.  This is unlike Auckland that have flip flopped over transport investment so much that it is costing billions for that city to catch up.

  Wairarapa is itself unique being the only regional rural hinterland in the country that has a commuter rail service in and out of a major city.  Our trains are popular and well supported.  With better off peak options it is likely that patronage would be even better.  Prior to Covid and the change of habits it brought our trains were also at capacity.  Now we have some breathing space, but for how long?

The biggest problem though is that our train carriages are old.  They were built in the seventies and have been refurbished at least twice.  There is about five years life left in them, the same amount of time it will take to tender for and build a new set.  Time is of the essence.

Greater Wellington is committed to working with the government to find ways we can continue with the tendering process as that in itself is a major piece of work.

The last substantial funding announcement for the Wairarapa Line came in election year so maybe that is the plan for the new trains?  Let’s just hope so although sooner would be better.

Adrienne Staples