Railway Loop May Be In Use In Two Years

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31976, 1 May 1969, Page 26

Railway Loop May Be In Use In Two Years

The Sockburn-Styx railway loop would go through and the Papanui-Fendalton section of the South Island Main Trunk line would then be eliminated, said the Minister of Railways (Mr Gordon) yesterday

Because of increased use of containers the advocacy of the British Conference Lines and Metra reports for container ports only in the North Island and the Government decision to buy a third road-rail in-ter-island vessel, the loop mnrht be completed within two years.

The centre line of the loop would be defined exactly in nine months so that property lessees and councils concerned would know where they stood.. Speaking to representatives of the Paparua and Waimairi county councils and the Christchurch City Council, Mr Gordon said that the railway Jtne In the loop would belowered near the perimeter of Christchurch Airport to avoid ■interference with the runway 'approach. It would be also lowered where It crossed the airport end of Memorial Avenue and Wairaket Road so that fly-overs would not be required. ContMner Reports “It seems likely, at present that the Government will go ahead on the lines of the British shipping and the Metra consultants’ reports. I have heard no concrete arguments yet against these proposals. This will be decided within the next five or six months. “This will mean increased use of containers and increased rail haulage from Christchurch to Picton and across Cook Strait,” Mr Gordon said. “As you all know, the Government has already ordered a third ferry. "Under these conditions, the Sockbiim-Styx loop becomes all the more important. It will also relieve congestion and shunting at Ad-

diflgton,” Mr Gordon said. “The Railways Department is prepared to start the loop lines at both the Sockburn and Styx ends if it can be shown this will result in industries starting there. “I want to emphasise that, when I say it seems likely the loop will be put through in the near future, the near future means in the next two or three years to politicians. But whether the loop is completed in the next two years, in 1975 or in 10 years, it will go through,” Mr Gordon said. Paparua’s Views Mr D. 11. Warren, chairman of the Paparua County Council which called the meeting, said the council particularly wanted to know whether the loon would go ahead. The Railways Department had bought, and held for the last 15 years 575 acres in the county for the loop. In the land was 294 acres within the Christchurch metropolitan urban fence, 211 acres being zoned residential and 83 acres industrial. This land would undoubtedly have been put to use if it had not been held for the loop. Much of it was leased for farming, but the council did not even receive normal rates paid for agricultural land. Mr--R. C.~ Neville, for the Waimairi County Council, said that the council did not hold decided views on the loon and wanted to be fair. But the idle land, 225 acres of it in the Waimairi County should be put to better use. Increased use of road haulage over recent years seemed to lessen the need for the loop. , Mr Gordon, after ■ further discussion, said that the loop could be started at both the Sockburn and Styx ends, with snurs running to industrial sites, if the councils could show that industries would start if the railway was made available. Lessees of ’ Railways De-

partment land In the area held short leases, with consequent low valuation. When the centre line of the loop line was fixed, in nine months, the remainder of the land could be leased for 20 or 33 years, with consequent normal valuation. When the loop was put in and land used for industry the councils would benefit from higher ratings and increased valuations generally. Industry would attract ancillary works and housing, so that the counties would benefit in the long term, although they had lost in the short term while the proposal had been under consideration, Mr Gordon said. He said that the SolicitorGeneral was looking at means of making Railways Department and other Crown land held on lease suitable for trustee investment loans. This would help to establish smaller industries. Leslie Block Mr Warren and Mr Y. Shuker, chairman of tbe Paparua County Council’s town-planning committee, said that 210 acres in the Leslie block, bounded by Buchanans, Carmens and Yaldhurst Roads, was at present zoned residential. The Railways Department wanted it used for industry, but the Regional Planning Authority, because the land had been idle for so long, wanted it put outside the urban fence and rezoned rural. This was a matter of urgency. Mr Gordon replied that the Railways Department would not sell land but would exchange it The department wanted a certain amount of land for industrial use near the loop, because this would increase the profitability of the scheme. If the council wanted the block for residential purposes, it would have to arrange an exchange of other land of equal value near the loop to be used for industry.