Iwi feels betrayed over location of new KiwiRail freight centre

Tuesday, 15 September 2020

Ngāti Kauwhata chairman Dennis Emery is upset with the preferred site of KiwiRail’s Palmerston North freight centre.

A Manawatū iwi feels it has been betrayed by KiwiRail over the site of Palmerston North’s new rail freight centre.

Ngāti Kauwhata is upset with the site of the new rail yards, which are to be built on the western side of Railway Rd between Palmerston North Airport and Bunnythorpe.

The iwi believes it had agreed for the site to be on the eastern side of Railway Rd by Roberts Line. But KiwiRail says it never agreed with the iwi to have the site on the eastern side.

Ngāti Kauwhata chairman Dennis Emery said the iwi felt it had been misled. He said after the Government announcement about funding for the centre in November 2018, the iwi had spoken with KiwiRail about the location.

The Ngāti Kauwhata iwi is worried about the site of the KiwiRail freight centre between Palmerston North and Bunnythorpe.

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“We thought we had an understanding and walked away with a map. That was in December.

“During Covid one of the concerns was we didn't want [KiwiRail] to talk amongst themselves and all of a sudden the agreement we had is gone. To our horror we found they had changed the site.

“To that end we feel misled and feel they betrayed us.”

Emery said there were concerns about the site KiwiRail wanted to build on because of cultural and environmental issues. Streams on the site were historically used by the iwi.

“From a cultural, environmental and historical point of view the iwi did not agree to this.”

He said if the site was on the western side of the road, streams and wetlands would have to be closed off, including the Mangaone Stream.

“Back in the 1820s our people used to come through here to go to the [Manawatū] Gorge. This was a thoroughfare.

“It was all bush and swamp in the area where we got our kai, our food cupboard. It’s amazing it's going to become an inland port and freight hub.”

The iwi would be willing to compromise over the site of the freight centre because it was a significant project that would affect the region for the next 100 years.

The iwi wanted to be at the decision-making table. “We thought we had a deal.”

KiwiRail’s general manager of investment and capital transactions Olivia Poulsen said the iwi was involved in the site-selection process from the beginning.

“We understand that their preferred site for the regional freight hub was on the other side of Railway Rd, which is in the flight path of Palmerston North Airport.

”However, we have never indicated to them that this site would be selected.

“Until recently we were not aware that they had any significant concerns with the preferred site KiwiRail announced, but we are meeting the iwi this week to discuss this with them and understand what those concerns are.”

Poulsen said KiwiRail was focused on ensuring iwi were involved in the project and hoped to work through any issues with Ngāti Kauwhata.

Emery is showing KiwiRail officials around the site on Friday.

The Government invested $40 million from the Provincial Growth Fund for planning and to buy the land.