Greens All Aboard for Rail Link

By JEFF NEEMS and DANIEL ADAMS - Waikato Times

The Greens have added their support to the campaign for a revived Hamilton-Auckland commuter rail connection, promising to keep pressure on the Government to explore the proposal.

More than 11,000 people signed a petition calling for the construction of a commuter rail connection between Hamilton and Auckland.

The idea has met with strong support locally, with dozens of submissions to Environment Waikato's draft annual plan backing the idea, but it has yet to gain any traction with the Government.

Greens transport spokesman Gareth Hughes – in the city yesterday to meet the Greens' new student arm at Waikato University – said the commuter rail connection had real merit and offered a long-term option for linking Auckland and Hamilton.

Parliament's transport and industrial relations select committee chaired by Hamilton East MP David Bennett had effectively dismissed the petition but Mr Hughes said he believed the idea was "still not dead" despite Mr Bennett acting as "a roadblock".

"We've got the tracks, we've got the (rail) cars, and we've got the support out there, so we need to go ahead and do it – link up the first and fourth-largest cities."

Mr Hughes pointed to the 2011 World Cup as a "great incentive to get a commuter service happening".

He accused the National Government of "gambling all our transport resources on roads" and not thinking long-term.

The Greens wanted to see a "corridor of national significance", with construction of a rail-line – or space for it to be built – alongside the Waikato Expressway the Government has pledged millions toward. Mr Hughes said the Greens did not have costings for a Hamilton-Auckland commuter rail link, but they believed the cost-benefit ratios would still be greater than those for new roads.

Hamilton City Council, has set aside money, and asked Environment Waikato to fund a two-year trial, and support a bid for the New Zealand Transport Agency to contribute.

All aboard for the Waikato Express

By Brian Rudman (NZ Herald, 10/5/10)

"Given all the stick we Aucklanders come in for from anyone living south of the Bombay Hills, it's rather endearing that 11,499 Hamiltonians have signed a petition wanting the passenger train service between our two great cities revived.

Somebody loves us after all. Instead of standing back and letting them fight their own battles, Auckland leaders should be rushing to the petitioners' support.

Indeed, we should be encouraging the Hamiltonians to raise their horizons and campaign not just for a commuter service of two or three trips a day, but something more comprehensive. More...

40kph Speed Zones outside every school in city?

NEW:  Sign the Petition for 40kph speed zones outside schools.

Hamilton City Council's Transport Committee decided today to press ahead with implementing its plan to have a 40kph speed zone outside every school in the city, despite Govt 'rules' supposedly preventing this.

The decision is made to enhance safety for kids - vulnerable road users - after a very recent report showed speeds and accident numbers had both lowered significantly outside the first 7 schools with such zones in Hamilton.

The Govt transport agency (NZTA) currently has a rule that only allows such variable zones (i.e. operating only during start & finish times for schools) in a very limited number of schools 'warranted' for the signs, and does not allow the much cheaper 'static' (non-electronic) signage. This flies in the face of international experience and practices, showing that - once again - NZTA is light years behind the times.

Currently NZTA has only 'warranted' 32 of the 70-odd schools in Hamilton for the low speed zones (though over half of the primary schools are covered), and Councillors are concerned that the travelling public will become confused as to which schools are and aren't covered by the low speed zones. It will be much easier to promote and educate around the low speed zones, and general road safety for vulnerable people, if every school is treated the same.

That's what the City Council intends to do - and will use static signage [see photo of static signage in Brisbane at right] whether or not NZTA is happy, in order to implement the policy in an affordable and timely way.

Parliamentary Select C'ttee fed rubbish by local MP on rail service - and regurtitates same!

Parliament's Transport & Industrial Relations Select Committee - chaired by Hamilton East Govt MP David Bennett has dismissed with no hearing an 11,500-strong petition supporting a Hamilton-Auckland rail service out of hand - after being fed untrue information about it, presumably by the Chair, as the only local MP on the Committee [Report below]

"The Transport and Industrial Relations Committee has considered Petition 2008/73 of Sue Moroney and 11,499 others, requesting that the House of Representatives ask the Government and related transport agencies to establish a passenger rail service between Hamilton and Auckland. The majority of us note that this service has recently been considered by the relevant local authorities and they decided not to establish such a service at this time, and therefore we have no matters to bring to the attention of the House.
The Labour and Green Party members support the petition of Sue Moroney and 11,499 others requesting that the House of Representatives ask the Government and related transport agencies to establish a passenger rail service between Hamilton and Auckland. We wanted to hear a submission from the petitioners so that we could consider their proposal. We also wanted to hear a response from the Ministry of Transport, so that the committee could assess the viability of such a service being established.

David Bennett was told in April this year (in front of about 50 witnesses) that not only did Hamilton City Council support the service, it had allocated significant funds as its share towards the establishment costs, AND that the Regional Council (Environment Waikato) had t he service specifically listed in its current Regional Land Transport Strategy. In addition, EW, HCC and the Waikato District Council have all yet to consider a number of submissions received (but not yet heard) in support of the rail service to Auckland.

A classic case of political porkies being told by an MP who plays fast and loose with the truth!

24/7 Liquor Ban a bridge too far?

A debate is looming in Hamilton over a proposal from a Council Committee to ban the consumption of liquor in public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week [see: www.angelaoleary.blogspot.com for details on the reasons for this].

An alternative proposal, which has unfortunately not yet been put out for public consideration is to change the 24 hours to a ban just between 10pm and 6am.

There is no doubt there is a liquor problem in various areas around the city that needs to have some action taken on it. The liquor companies and some retailers don't seem to care about the affects on communities of their unbridled promotion of liquor sales, especially to young people. Public safety is often at risk because of the effects of excess liquor consumption.

But is a 24/7 ban the answer? Respectfully I don't think so. The Police themselves are happy with the 10pm-6am ban option, which they say covers the worst problem times. Good, law-abiding Hamiltonians - maybe having a wine with their family picnic beside the Lake - will be penalised by what is probably an over-reaction to a very real problem. Should the police turn a blind eye to this, but then turn around and arrest a 20-year old with a can hin his hand and wearing a hoodie?

What do you think? Have a vote in the voting section on the left....

Church College Buildings to remain?

Its looking increasingly like the LDS Church top hierarchy has moved to pull their property arm into line, and halt or slow down their mad rush to demolish the historic Church College buildings.

The word coming out of Templeview is that the buildings will remain, and that appropriate alternative uses are being looked at for much of the school.

If correct, this is a good thing, and a great reminder that communities sticking to their guns can eventually win the day!

David Bennett should remember he's there to represent Hamilton

City Councillor Peter Bos is absolutely right to lambast the Ministry of Education and, by inference, Hamilton East MP David Bennett for delays to the building of the long-promised Rototuna High School. David Bennett needs to remember he's been put down in Parliament by Hamilton East residents to represent them, and to advocate for their needs - NOT to explain away why the Government is going to back off on providing this much-needed community facility for another 5-6 years.

Bennett's reluctance to go into bat for his own electorate might win brownie points in Wellington, but will go down like a cup of cold sick in Hamilton. It comes on top of his attacks on the proposed passenger rail service between Hamilton and Auckland (see 11,500 can't be wrong below), and his support for the Huntly Bypass section of the Waikato Expressway to be built before the Hamilton Bypass. Whose side are you on, David?