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$300m Haast road idea shelved |
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Wednesday, 10 March 2010 |
by Andrew Ashton
The on again, off again Haast-Hollyford road link is off the agenda again after a Government report failed to find reasons to fund it.
A report conducted by the Depart-ment of Economic Development suggested that the $300 million cost of creating the road link through the World Heritage wilderness separating Westland from Milford Sound, would not be worth the initial financial outlay.
Economic Development Minister Gerry Brownlee, despite previously speaking in support of the proposed link, yesterday confirmed that the plans would be indefinitely shelved.
“In the current economic environ-ment, while it’s prudent to invest in infrastructure, the analysis done by officials to date indicates the Haast to Hollyford route would be a low priority,” he said.
Responding, Forest and Bird advocacy manager Kevin Hackwell said that for both economic and en-vironmental reasons he was delighted that the plans had been ditched.
“The idea of building this road keeps coming up like a bad smell. Every few years someone keeps bringing up the idea without considering the economic viability of such a project, let alone the immense environmental impact that putting a road through a fantastic wilderness area would have.
“I just hope politicians nationally and on the West Coast take note of the decision and refrain from spending public money on a road that would not have any additional tourism benefits.”
But Westland Mayor Maureen Pugh said the Westland District Council was already looking at other funding possibilities to get the idea back on track.
The council has allowed $100,000 this year to progress the plans.
“At this stage I am not concerned as there are other options that are quite viable such as a public-private partnership, or design-build-operate,” Mrs Pugh said.
“Mr Brownlee’s statement does not dampen our resolve to continue to pursue the survey and legalisation of the route.”
Christchurch hotel magnate Earl Hagaman, of Scenic Circle, was the latest to resurrect the idea last year.
The 108km road would follow the coastline from Cascade to Martins Bay, turning inland to the Hollyford Valley, near Milford Sound.
It would involve bridging dozens of rivers and creeks.
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Tax message hits the road |
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Wednesday, 10 March 2010 |
 By LISA RANGI
The Labour Party has hit the road with its protest against the National Government’s plan to lift the GST rate to 15%.
List MP Damien O’Connor, a former 15-year veteran West Coast-Tasman MP, said the move was “stupid, unfair and undemocratic” and would hurt all West Coasters, most of whom were on low to middle incomes.
“It will only be the very few on a really high income who are going to get tax back to offset the increase in GST.”
It was undemocratic because no one had voted for an increase in GST when they changed the government last year, Mr O’Connor said.
He was one of five Labour MPs aboard the ‘Axe the Tax’ bus, which visited Westport, Reefton and Greymouth yesterday as part of a two-week roadshow.
“John Key’s plan will have a destructive impact on the lives of all low to middle-income Kiwis who have borne the brunt of the recession, and who are already struggling to make ends meet without a GST hike,” Mr O’Connor said.
While increasing that tax from 12.5% to 15%, the Government has said reductions in personal tax and increases in benefits, superannuation and Working for Families payments will compensate.
“People know this is just a money-go-round and that they won’t benefit,” Mr O’Connor said.
Labour Party finance spokesman David Cunliffe said the tax changes would ensure “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer”.
He was also surprised at the number of shopkeepers against it.
“This is a kick in the guts for an economy trying to recover.”
Axe the Tax today headed to Rangiora and Christchurch. |
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Solid Energy Rewanui inclined |
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Tuesday, 09 March 2010 |
 By LAURA MILLS
A dozen former residents of the abandoned coal mining town of Rewanui — high in the hills behind Dunollie — went ‘home’ at the weekend to an area that may be mined again.
Courtesy of Solid Energy they got to look at the remains of the Liverpool No 1 coal mine at the ‘Siberia’ end of Rewanui.
State-owned Solid Energy is currently crunching data to determine whether the area could be worth mining in future, although it says any decision is some way off.
After the railway line was destroyed by a slip 20 or so years ago, the only way back into the old township site is by four-wheel-drive above the Strongman mine, followed by a descent to the early mine site and a trek by foot to the ghost town.
Among those who made the trip were two who spent their childhood and early working life at Rewanui — 88-year-old John Menzies, who moved up the hill at age five when his father worked in the Liverpool mine, and Ron Butler.
Solid Energy spokesman Bryn Somerville said the company had done a fair bit of exploration in the past year or so to better understand the geology of the Siberia area.
Drilling in the Bishop and Rajah blocks of the upper Seven Mile valley had confirmed resources of underground and open-cast high-quality hard coking coal that was regarded as being of medium-term strategic importance.
However, Solid Energy was still some way away from a decision, he said.
The weekend trip was organised by Matthew Morgan after members of Solid Energy’s Greymouth Community Consultation Group expressed an interest in returning to the former township. |
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