Rolleston freight hub plans welcomed by Fairfield
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
The man behind the new freight hub in Mid Canterbury says he's not concerned by plans to build another hub 58km up the road in Rolleston.
Wareing Group director Mark Wareing said a second hub would have a positive impact on the Fairton site as it would be “complimentary” and increase the traffic volume along the rail line.
“It will strengthen it over time as more local freight moves interisland,” he said.
The Fairfield Freight Hub opened in April, in an $18 million development led by the Waring Group with funding from the Government and the Ashburton District Council.
Now a similar hub could be established up the road after the Selwyn District Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with KiwiRail.
KiwiRail future state freight general manager Mark Heissenbuttel said Kiwirail and the council, along with other interested parties, are in early discussions on the establishment of a freight hub in Rolleston.
Location and costs are still to be discussed, he said.
“Inter-modal hubs use both road and rail transport, enabling trucks to complete the first and last mile of collections and delivery, and for rail to do the heavy longer-distance movements.
“KiwiRail runs some 30 services a day through the Selwyn District, including the crown jewel of our tourism offerings, the TranzAlpine.
“It’s an exciting time for rail in the South Island with the imminent arrival of the brand new low-emissions locomotives will boost KiwiRail in the South Island.”
With plenty to still work out around establishing a new hub in Rolleston, it was too early to speculate on any potential impacts on the Fairfield Hub, Heissenbuttel said.
Selwyn mayor Sam Broughton said the MOU marked a significant milestone for the district.
“This partnership will help enhance the flow of freight through Selwyn, strengthening our local economy and connecting us more effectively with the wider region."
The MOU includes closer cooperation between the two organisations to align the rail network development with the objective of Waikirikiri Te Kua Future Selwyn strategy.
Broughton said the strategy was a roadmap for the district for the next 50-100 years.
"We must plan our transport systems to accommodate future generations well”.
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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61.7% Summer
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36.6% Winter
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1.7% Other - I'll share below
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