New Zealand bottom of EV charger league

International Energy Agency figures show New Zealand is at the bottom of 31 nations in providing  public charging points for each electric vehicle – EV.

As of April, New Zealand had 1,200 public EV chargers, one for about every 59 fully electric cars.

The government promised to roll out 10,000 public EV chargers by 2030. That means installing 130 chargers a month, but the rate last year was 21 a month, according to lobby group Drive Electric.

The government removing EV subsidies has seen sales of new EVs plunge from 27% of the market last year to 8% so far this year: well behind China, the EU and the US for EV uptake. 

More EV Statistics: EECA updates its nation-wide count of EV chargers every quarter. … Continue Reading

On the Remutaka buses – not the trains – again

Wairarapa-to-Wellington commuters face seven weeks “on the buses” over the hill from 26 December as KiwiRail does “extensive” upgrade work on the line so it can cope with faster trains and more frequent services. 

In a statement, KiwiRail said buses will replace Wairarapa trains for 46 days _ 26 December to 10 January _ so it can replace and repair 70-year-old track in the 8.8km Remutaka Tunnel.

Some $800 million of new hybrid commuter trains due on the service by 2028-29 are behind the rail track upgrade.

It will increase speeds on the line from 90 kmh to 110 kmh according to Transport Minister Simeon Brown, result in fewer speed restrictions and ensure more freqwuent services.

Greater Wellington transport chair Thomas Nash said with this longer-than-normal holiday rail closedown, Metlink buses is working with Transdev rail and KiwiRail to give “plenty of advance notice of bus  frequencies and services.”

The upgrade involves about 1.4 km of new rail track and 11,600-odd sleepers.

Nash said the programme would see the familiar holiday bus replacements for railway maintenance extended for longer.

“I acknowledge this will be challenging for some people (commuters),” he said.

For that reaason, the project “will be communicating regularly about how and where to catch bus replacements – as well as working with KiwiRail to communicate the significant work being undertaken to futureproof the rail network.”

Metlink will shortly launch an information campaign to advise of the planned seven-plus week closedown and further explain the Wairarapa rail line upgrade project, he added.

NIMBY Letter of the Month

Dear Ed:

NIMBY Alert: We live in Grey Street and would be affected by the proposed changes to access to Martinborough School.

However, I don’t think the proposed changes (as described in last month’s Star) would solve the real problems that threaten children’s safety.

The first problem is the lack of on-street parking. All-day parkers (presumably teachers and other staff) take up the available spaces well before school starts, leaving little room for parents who want to drop off or pick up their kids. They must also compete for space with school buses.

A simple solution here would be for the school to provide staff and visitors with more off-street parking: the school has plenty of room.

Roberts Street could then become a short-term parking zone (30 minutes maximum perhaps). Dublin Street near the school could be made a No Stopping Zone (except perhaps for school buses), reducing the problems caused by mixed traffic.

A prohibition on stopping on the west side of Roberts Street would also make it safer for children (no kids darting across the street to school after being dropped off). It would also stop the unkerbed and unchanneled roadside being churned into a mud heap. 

The second problem is the behaviour of some drivers, who just stop wherever it suits them near the school with little regard to other vehicles or pedestrians. It gets worse: for example, the other day around 8:45 a.m. I watched a mother drive her large SUV slowly along Grey Street and into Roberts Street – she was tracking her child who was riding a cycle along the footpath, yelling instructions all the way, but oblivious to other vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

Shifting the school’s entrance to Grey Street would not solve the traffic problem. All that would change is that kids would get dropped off in Grey Street from buses or cars and then have to walk to the school buildings — across the grass fields (wet in winter) or back along Roberts Street. Shifting the main entry for kids to Roberts Street makes more sense, but only if the parking and driving problems are addressed.

We don’t currently see many kids walking or biking to school along Grey Street, leading us to think that most who travel on foot or bike reach the school along Dublin St or Broadway St. The busy supervised pedestrian crossing supports that observation. They would probably continue to use that route and enter through the school’s “old” gates. The safety issues would continue. And having to enter from Grey Street would make it a much longer trip. 

Children’s safety is a worthy objective. These proposals need more work, perhaps in consultation with local residents.

Richard Rudman 

One-off community funding carrot from SWDC

Securing funding for key support systems like Martinborough’s beleagured public library, Hau Ariki Marae, even forest regeneration planting – could be part of the focus for the newly-announced $500,000 Community Wellbeing Fund.

South Wairarapa District Council has announced the fund, which is being dispersed to applicants over the next five months after the Department of Internal Affairs ponied up with cash from the Better Off support packages provided to local bodies under the now-disbanded Three Waters Reform.

“The  Wellbeing Fund of $500,000 available now is for individuals and groups to build wellbeing initiatives that benefit the whole community,” the council announced on July 8, with grant applications to be reviewed in late July, early September and November. … Continue Reading