Denis O’Rourke MP
Spokesperson for Transport
17 April 2014

MINISTER REVERSES HIS POSITION OVER GISBORNE RAIL LINK

Answers given in Parliament today suggest Minister for Transport Gerry Brownlee has reversed his decision on the mothballed Gisborne-Napier railway, says New Zealand First.

“Associate Minister of Transport Michael Woodhouse, when questioned, agreed with the Prime Minister’s statement in 2012, shortly after the Gisborne-Napier railway line was closed after slips, that the Government has some responsibility and does not want to see the road as the only option’,” says New Zealand First Transport Spokesperson Denis O’Rourke.

“It was also agreed, in another answer on behalf of the Transport Minister, that short-term financial issues are not the only consideration in deciding whether to repair the Gisborne-Napier rail link, and that the security of transport links and regional development are also important considerations.

“We call upon the Minister and the Prime Minister to announce that they will re-open the vital Gisborne-Napier railway line as soon as the repair work can be completed.

“An ideal time for the announcement would be when the Minister visits Napier on April 23,” says Mr O’Rourke.

ENDS

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