Rail a better option for NZ’s freight

I READ with interest the article in the ODT regarding the address by Transport Minister Phil Twyford to the recent Transport Forum Conference.

Of particular note was the reported challenge from a Northland transport operator following a discussion on regional transport.

What an utterly thoughtless, unprofessional outburst this was, and so typical of the shortterm selfishness of the business sector in New Zealand. This is exemplified, in particular, by the greed of chief executives and shareholders at the top of the chain.

I saw this as yet another example of a peeved businessman not having his mates in government any longer and putting his own needs ahead of the country as a whole.

We do not need more trucks on the road. We need a strategic approach to transport in this country with sensible integration of road and rail.

It makes economic sense to upgrade our rail system — not to mention the environmental benefits. One train as against 20 trucks. It is a nobrainer.

Building even more roads has proven to be a shortterm solution at huge economic and environmental cost.

Rail deserves an even playing field and will always struggle as long as it must pay for its entire infrastructure, unlike road transport, which is subsidised out of all proportion to its dollar contributions.

This Government may not be to everybody’s taste but it is not helped by the petulance of those determined to see it fail at any cost.

W. N. Brook

Wakari

Browsers not grazers

REGARDING Sir Alan Mark’s comments on tahr (ODT, 26.9.18). I would have thought that, as an alpine plant ecologist, he would have known that tahr, as are all goat species, are browsers, not grazers.

He would also know that some species of moa, also browsers, browsed in alpine areas up to an altitude of around 2000 metres.

G. Spering

Oamaru