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Upper Hutt City Council Support

In principle support

On 14 May 2003 Upper Hutt City Council unanimously passed the following resolution, the motion put by Deputy Mayor Shirley Harris:

'that Council:

  1. Notes the potential for the Rimutaka Incline Railway to be the 'iconic' tourist attraction for Upper Hutt and the whole Wellington region and,
  2. express its 'in principle support for the project.'

Summary of proposal

The project potentially offers an 'iconic' tourist attraction, a 'key anchor development' for Upper Hutt. It would also support many of the opportunities for action, through which the current draft community outcomes might be achieved for the city.

Totally Wellington summarised Wellington's key tourism strengths in their Strategic Plan for 2001-2002 as:

and the tourist - heritage railway proposed has the potential to fit neatly within these key strengths. Totally Wellington have set the ambitious target of doubling visitor expenditure in Wellington during the 2001 - 2005 period.

Tourism targets supported

We believe that the Rimutaka Incline Railway and tourism products of this nature will be required and in demand in the near future. It offers a means by which Upper Hutt might be 'connected with the world', by attracting tourists, both international and domestic, to the city. We propose to operate out of Upper Hutt station, which we feel would improve access, and make for the best contribution to the development of a vibrant city centre.

In Wellington Te Papa recorded 1.31 million visitors in the year ended June 2002, 540,000 were international visitors. International visitor arrivals to Wellington have been increasing steadily, for example up 22% from 360,000 in 1999 to 440,000 in year ended June 2000 (Tourism NZ statistics, Totally Wellington), a trend that would be reinforced by the development of a further high quality tourism product in the region.

In 1999 Dunedin's Taieri Gorge Railway carried 48,000 passengers, of which 13,000 were from Cruise Boat charters and groups (NZ Railfan, March 2000). Extrapolating from this, one would expect that at least a third of their visitors were international in origin. We anticipate that Upper Hutt will experience a similar boost to tourist spend, and tourist nights, both international and domestic, to the benefit of existing attractions, events and businesses, and signalling for other tourism products to be established, building on the railway's success.

Similarities to West Coast Wilderness Railway, Tasmania

In Tasmania, much closer to our shores, the recently opened West Coast Wilderness Railway shows the way forward for this proposal. Premier Jim Bacon, on opening the 35km long ABT railway in April, described it as 'an unprecedented engineering feat, creating one of Australia's great tourism attractions'. This was a three-year effort including the rebuilding of locomotives, bridges, track, station precincts and new carriages. It connects Queenstown, a former mining town with Strahan, a more established tourist centre on the western coast of Tasmania, with a part conventional, part rack tourist heritage railway running through forest and mountain scenery.

Consultation planned

The Committee would consult and plan the railway so as to minimise and take into account effects on residents, landowners, existing park users, and to determine ways in which the railway might be reinstated ensuring that events and popular recreational facilities will continue to be possible.

Charitable Trust

Legal opinion has been sought to finalise the Charitable Trust deed, which is now ready to apply for incorporation under the Charitable Trusts Act.

Support would be appreciated

The Committee welcomes the Council's support in principle, whilst we plan, present, listen and seek support from other stakeholders and the wider community, for what has every promise of being a key development for Upper Hutt city.

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