A commuter train between Hamilton and South Auckland will finally roll out on August 3, six weeks after initially intended because of the ramifications of coronavirus.
The start date was announced by Transport Minister Phil Twyford today, who said the service named Te Huia would consist of two morning trains from Hamilton to Papakura and two return evening services each weekday. It comes after the main drivers of the project, Hamilton City Council, had to push back the start date from June 22 because lifts needed at one station made in China were held up due to the impacts of Covid-19. Councillor Dave Macpherson, who has championed the project, said the council was planning for the lifts at the Rotokauri station to be installed and working by August 3, and other suppliers outside of China were being considered. "And we note that China is now coming back 'on stream' so the comment that the lifts won't be ready is definitely premature and in our opinion unfounded." Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate said the total project cost to develop the Rotokauri Transport Hub near The Base shopping centre is $29 million, of which $18.5m was contributed by central government through Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency subsidies. "The new rail service will be great for commuters and day-trippers and is a true partnership between local, regional and central government as well as Crown agencies," Southgate said. She said the lifts at Rotokauri may not be complete due to the international supply chain issues which had delayed delivery of the machinery. "The council is working closely with Downer NZ to get the machinery delivered and installed as soon as possible." The train trip would take a commuter travelling into Auckland central business district 2 hours and 20 minutes, swapping to Auckland Transport's electric rail at Papakura. Hamilton to Papakura would take 88 minutes. A single return train would operate on a Saturday. Times are still being confirmed but departures are currently set at 6am and 6.30am from Hamilton and 5.30pm and 6.30pm from Papakura. The service will start in Frankton, stopping at Rotokauri and Huntly before heading on to Papakura.
Waikato Regional Transport Committee chairman Hugh Vercoe said construction of a rail platform, park and ride facilities, bus interchange, roading upgrades, passenger bridge and stairs at Rotokauri would be complete when the service starts in August, but the lifts were in question. "It's not what we had hoped, but in Hamilton the station at Frankton is accessible and we're working closely with the regional council's public transport team on options to make sure people with mobility issues can use the new service." Twyford hailed the service as a "crucial connection" between the two major cities. "It will allow up to 300 people to get to and from Auckland each day, helping reduce congestion on our highways and transport emissions." He said the new service was part of a wider vision to enable development along the Hamilton-Auckland growth corridor and connect New Zealand's fastest growing job hubs. "The South Auckland/North Waikato area is growing and it's important that we are thinking about the big picture and develop the right infrastructure to unlock that growth. "The Ministry of Transport also has work under way to investigate options for rapid rail between Hamilton and Auckland," he said. The Hamilton – Auckland services received funding through the NZ Transport Agency for five years.During that period the service will be assessed to see where improvements can be made. Waikato Regional Council chairman Russ Rimmington said the start couldn't come soon enough for passengers. "It's a major turning point for the project and will give commuters certainty so they can plan their future travel." The two carriages per train are still being fitted out and will be equipped with Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, tables, power and USB points, and toilets. Work started this week on the Huntly station and associated park and ride facility, which are expected to be completed in time for the launch of the service. The cost of a one-way smartcard fare from Hamilton to Papakura will be $12.20, with a trip from Hamilton into Auckland CBD costing a total of $18.50 if using an AT HOP card on AT Metro services. Smartcard fares between Huntly and Papakura will be $7.80.
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Dry cleaners mt Roskill
Hello our fellow neighbors I was hoping someone would know where the old dry cleaners we had up at the lights on dominion road have moved to?? I was out of town and when I came back they were gone .... I had some items that I would really love to get back but if only I new where they moved to or how to get In Touch with the owners to see what they did with our clothes if they closed down or moved elsewhere? Any updates or news about it would be amazing neighbors. Have a great day
Poll: Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?
As reported in the Post, there’s a $30 million funding gap in financial mentoring. This has led to services closing and mentors stepping in unpaid just to keep helping people in need 🪙💰🪙
One proposed solution? Small levies on industries that profit from financial hardship — like banks, casinos, and similar companies.
So we want to hear what you think:
Should the government ask these industries to contribute?
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59.8% Yes, supporting people is important!
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25.9% No, individuals should take responsibility
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14.4% ... It is complicated
Even Australians get it - so why not Kiwis???
“Ten years ago, if a heatwave as intense as last week’s record-breaker had hit the east coast, Australia’s power supply may well have buckled. But this time, the system largely operated as we needed, despite some outages.
On Australia’s main grid last quarter, renewables and energy storage contributed more than 50% of supplied electricity for the first time, while wholesale power prices were more than 40% lower than a year earlier.
[…] shifting demand from gas and coal for power and petrol for cars is likely to deliver significantly lower energy bills for households.
Last quarter, wind generation was up almost 30%, grid solar 15% and grid-scale batteries almost tripled their output. Gas generation fell 27% to its lowest level for a quarter century, while coal fell 4.6% to its lowest quarterly level ever.
Gas has long been the most expensive way to produce power. Gas peaking plants tend to fire up only when supply struggles to meet demand and power prices soar. Less demand for gas has flowed through to lower wholesale prices.”
Full article: www.theguardian.com...
If even Australians see the benefit of solar - then why is NZ actively boycotting solar uptake? The increased line rental for electricity was done to make solar less competitive and prevent cost per kWh to rise even more than it did - and electricity costs are expected to rise even more. Especially as National favours gas - which is the most expensive form of generating electricity. Which in turn will accelerate Climate Change, as if New Zealand didn’t have enough problems with droughts, floods, slips, etc. already.
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