Railway line to new-look Methven?

Press, 10 February 1983, Page 4

Railway line to new-look Methven?

Wellington reporter Poker machines, extended Sunday drinking hours, and a railway line to Methven are three of the measures wanted to make Methven more attractive to tourists. Other suggestions given to the Government by the Methven and Mount Hutt Promotion Association include a Christchurch-Meth-ven air service and the injection of public money for the Mount Hutt Road. The options are contained in a three-page letter sent by the association to the Minister of Tourism. Mr Talbot, who is also the local member of Parliament. Mr Talbot said he would investigate the options, and discuss some of them with his Cabinet colleagues. Extending the Sunday drinking hours would require an amendment to the Sale of Liquor Act, and would involve a free vote in Parliament, he said. The suggestion had been made on the ground that Methven needed a wider range of activities to attract

tourists. Mr Talbot did not personally agree that legalising poker machines was a good idea, but the idea of legalised gambling would be looked at in the wider context, of whether New Zealand should have a casino, perhaps on the Hobart or Queensland model. Legalised gambling needed a lot of investigation, he said. Reopening the RakaiaMethven railway line after all these years was a very interesting proposition that also needed in-depth study. He would be discussing it with the Minister of Transport, Mr Gair. Methven needed to come up with a viable proposition. The Government wanted the Railways to be self-support-ing and economic where possible. "I will discuss this with the Railways Corporation, but I don’t hold out much hope." Mr Talbot said. The association had suggested Tourist Hotel Corporation involvement in a luxury hotel development. Private industry already had proposals for a good quality accommodation ski

lodge, and he did not see it as a suitable place for Tourist Hotel Corporation involvement. The request that the Mount Hutt Road be eligible for National Roads Board funds would need to be discussed with the company owning the road. An air service to Methven would probably occur of itself, Mr Talbot,said. There would be a dramatic increase in the numbers using the resort as a result of the marketing that had been done. By deregulating air services. the Government had created an opportunity for someone to pioneer the route whenever they wanted, he said. “All the association's proposals will receive serious consideration,” said Mr Talbot. “It is a very active body and the local people have got right behind it, putting their money where their mouth is." He hoped to hear from other promotion associations around the country with similarly positive proposals for their areas.