Iwi helps smooth the way

Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones said one of the reasons the funding application had been declined the first time around was uncertainty over Ma¯ ori land claims to the rail corridor.

His parliamentary colleagues’ initial reluctance to fund the project had, however, been resolved by the intervention of local iwi Nga¯ ti Hine.

The project would bring great benefits to Kawakawa, the Bay of Islands and Northland, Jones said.

“It’s a red letter day for the Bay of Islands. It’s bringing heritage alive and it’s also rewarding years of volunteer effort from men and women who were growing grey waiting for some financial assistance.”

“It was a bit tricky initially because of Ma¯ ori land claims over the railway line but with the involvement of [Nga¯ ti Hine leader] Pita Tipene and the stability brought also by [former National MP, now Far North Holdings director] Murray McCully we had the confidence that this sum of money — it’s $7.5m being spent, partly on training but largely on the choo-choo experience with the steam boat — would pass muster among the political community and have genuine credibility among the tourism and commercial communities. So once those items were ticked off it was all ka pai,” Jones said.

NAX had originally asked for just under $19m but the Far North District Council would pick up the tab for re-routing 6.5km of the cycle trail while Far North Holdings was assisting with the new Opua railway station.

Jones said he would lobby the NZ Transport Agency to help fund the bike path.

“I think the North has been consistently shortchanged by the NZTA. Obviously they have some pu¯ tea [money] for bikes — they’re spending a small fortune on cycleways in Auckland — so I’m going to take up the cudgels and advance the cause.”