Posted: 22 June 2006
Marsden Point rail decision disappoints
The Northland Regional Council is very disappointed and frustrated with ONTRACK’s decision yesterday not to proceed immediately with the designation of land for the proposed rail extension from Oakleigh to Marsden Point.
NRC chairman Mark Farnsworth says ONTRACK is being overly cautious considering the project has been proposed for more than 25 years, and there has been a huge pile of engineering, environmental, social and economic reports prepared over that time.
“The NRC realises that the ONTRACK Board is a new player in the rail sector and needs to look nationally at the whole rail system, which has largely been left to run down over the past 15 years.
“However, the NRC had expected that ONTRACK would at least start the designation process to safeguard the preferred route for the future. While any new line is unlikely to be fully viable from the beginning, ONTRACK needs to have the vision to see the opportunities for creating synergies for development once a line is put in place,’’ he says.
Regional Land Transport Committee chairman Bill Rossiter says there will never be a cheaper time than designating the land now, as there is intense pressure in the area for subdividing the land for a range of different uses. “While there are about a dozen landowners now, if the land remains undesignated they are quite entitled to do with it what they wish and what is currently farmland might be used for light industry, subdivisions or horticulture.’’
ONTRACK has given an assurance of continued interest and support for the project, and has pledged to continue to work on the establishment of an appropriate funding structure including the liability that would result from designation.
In the meantime the NRC will continue to work with ONTRACK, WDC and potential users, to ensure that ONTRACK’s concerns are met and the project can proceed.