Group wants to relocate yards

Press, 14 May 1979, Page 7

Group wants to relocate yards

The Addington saleyards should be moved to the Chaneys area for the sake of the residents of northwest Christchurch and the Railwys Department. Tils is the view of a locrfy based group, Rail AcNon, which has six members in Christchurch and is interested in drawing public attention to the ■towering of the railway system in New Zealand,” said its spokesman (Mr S. Mee).

Mr Rice said that 460 ha /if land was set aside by the Crown in the Chaneys area in the early 1920 s for possible use as cattle saleyards and plantation purposes. So far it had been used only for planting. The land is situated near a railhead. “We would like the Crown to use the land as it was originally intended,” Mr Rice said.

“This would mean that stock transport goes off the road on to rail, for which it is much better suited,” he said. “It also would solve the environmental problem of heavy transport trucks coming through the north-west part of Christchurch.” Mr Rice said the suggestion this week that the Kingston Flyer be located in another part of the South Island, was a "threat to the InvercargillKingston line.” “This move highlights the sell-out to road transport,” he said. “The greatest value of road transport was a feeder service to the railways. In the interests of the country, the present trucking craze should be discouraged because of fuel and road maintenance costs and also for environmental reasons,” Mr Rice said.