11. Question No. 11—TransportINGRID LEARY (Labour—Taieri) to the Minister of TransportQuestion No. 11—Transport11. INGRID LEARY (Labour—Taieri) to the Minister of Transport: How does Budget 2021 invest in rail?Hon MICHAEL WOOD (Minister of Transport): Talofa lava Mr Speaker. The Government is delivering on its pre-election commitment to invest in rail and develop domestic rail workshops to create jobs as part of our COVID-19 economic recovery plan. Budget 2021's $1.3 billion investment in rail replaces locomotives and wagons and builds new rail workshops in Dunedin and Christchurch new IT systems maintenance and renewals across KiwiRail's 3700 kilometre rail network creating jobs and improving safety. These investments will create hundreds of jobs as well as supporting the 4000 good jobs currently provided by KiwiRail.Ingrid Leary: Supplementary faamolemole. What are the benefits of building rail workshops?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: By investing in rail workshops in Dunedin and Christchurch we're going to create around 445 good local jobs and boost jobs in the civil engineering and construction sector throughout the wider supply chain. This will create apprenticeships and help upskill KiwiRail's workforce. Instead of buying ready-made wagons from overseas the new facility at Hillside will allow us to initially assemble around 1500 wagons locally. This investment will mean local jobs rebuilding expertise youth training opportunities and boosting Otago's economy and making our railways more self-sufficient and resilient.SPEAKER: Order! I'm going to call a member in a second. I'm going to remind people that if they really want to ask questions they've got stand up and take the call. They don't—Hon Michael Woodhouse: But we don't have any.SPEAKER: Well the party has four.Ingrid Leary: Fa'afetai lava. How does the Budget's investment in rail build on the Government's previous investments?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: The $1.3 billion in Budget 2021 for rail builds on the Government's revitalisation of rail which includes a range of important investments such as reopening the Wairoa to Napier line futureproofing the Auckland City Rail Link bringing the rail line north of Auckland up to scratch to help with freight building a third main line for Auckland extending electrification to Pukekohe future rail stations at Drury 15 new electric trains into Auckland's network starting the Te Huia service between Hamilton and Auckland for commuters and saving the Wairarapa line from deterioration with critical maintenance work. It's a busy programme and there's more to come.Hon Grant Robertson: Supplementary question Mr Speaker. SPEAKER: Is it about the Hutt?Hon Grant Robertson: It can be if you want it to be Mr Speaker. Has the Minister seen any reports as to why it is that the National Party hates people getting jobs and there being sustainable transport caused by—SPEAKER: Order! Order! Look it's not even Thursday Mr Robertson. When the Minister's acting for the Prime Minister in the House I'm reluctant to—Hon Grant Robertson: Don't tell her. SPEAKER: Well I've just mentioned her and therefore it will come up on her feed. Hon Michael Woodhouse: Extra question? SPEAKER: Yes—extra question Mr Woodhouse.Hon Michael Woodhouse: Does he think an investment of $75 million for the privilege of assembling wagons at a cost of $23000 per wagon more than the current procurement process represents good value for the taxpayer?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: In the first instance I'd encourage the Opposition spokesperson on transport to check his figures. It's $85 million that the Government is proudly investing into Dunedin and the Hillside workshops following through on our election commitment investing in the people the communities and the economy of Dunedin and Otago to create skilled jobs and opportunities for young people and to ensure that we have a resilient and reliable transport network. Unlike the previous Government this Government won't stand by and run the rail network into the ground. We'll build up the skills and the infrastructure and the people to have a resilient and reliable rail network in this country.Hon David Parker: Would the re-establishment of carriage assembly at Hillside workshops have cost tens of millions of dollars less if the previous Government hadn't shut the previous facility down?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: I think that the member is right in making that assessment. Work that this Government has done in terms of building a plan for the future of rail reveals that the New Zealand rail network was in a period of managed decline under the previous Government and we are very proud of the investments that we have made to ensure that rail which delivers significant economic value—valued at $2.1 billion every year by the recent value of rail report—is fully realised to make sure that we have a resilient transport system and that we have good jobs for many New Zealanders in the rail system. Hon Member: Supplementary. SPEAKER: Well I'll call a member in a minute but I'm going to ask people to settle down. I mean it's sort of like members here are getting more excited than my grandkids do playing with trains.