The Government’s continued underfunding of Kiwirail is driving it into the ground and contributing to it losing major contracts, such as its Tranz Metro Wellington passenger rail contract today, the Green Party said. “The National Government has driven Kiwirail into the ground and now Kiwirail’s lost its important Wellington passenger rail contract,” Green Party Wellington issues spokesperson Gareth Hughes said. “Ultimately, people who want to travel by clean public transport will lose out if Kiwirail’s viability is threatened by the...

Green Party MP Gareth Hughes made a final plea this morning to Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) to not replace Wellington’s iconic, pollution free trolley bus system with dirty diesel buses. Gareth Hughes spoke with GWRC councillors ahead of their vote today on Wellington’s public transport strategy. The strategy includes a decision about whether to replace Wellington’s 60 electric trolley buses with diesels. Last year GWRC decided to remove 60 trolley buses from the fleet by 2017. “Last year councillors...

The Green Party is delighted the Basin Reserve flyover will not be going ahead after a ruling by the High Court today. “The Green Party is very happy with the decision by the High Court today dismissing the appeal over the Basin Reserve flyover,” said Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter. “The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) should not have taken the decision to court in the first place after the Environmental Protection Agency made a rational transport decision....