Brown Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Urgent Questions Questions to Members 
Brown Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Urgent Questions Questions to Members 
[Volume:620;Page:16012] 
10.  
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister for Transport Safety 
: Is he satisfied that the East Coast main trunk line carrying tonnage to and from the Port of Tauranga is safe; if so why? 
Hon HARRY DUYNHOVEN (Minister for Transport Safety) 
: 
 Based on advice from the Land Transport Safety Authority I am satisfied that the East Coast main trunk line carrying tonnage to and from the Port of Tauranga is safe. 
Peter Brown 
: Is he concerned that for at least a segment of that track which runs alongside and between rows of housing the bolts holding the lines in place can literally be plucked out with no resistance whatsoever and if he is concerned will he inform the House when such matters will be rectified? 
Hon HARRY DUYNHOVEN 
: When the member raised this issue with me last Friday night I was immediately in contact with officials who were in contact with New Zealand Railways Corporation. I believe they went out the very next morning to inspect the track in the area concerned and could not find evidence of the fault outlined by Mr Brown. I regret that there was no evidence of that fault. They did find loose bolts from previous track work that had been replaced. 
Peter Brown 
: I know that this is a bit unusual but I would like to table photographs— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Table them at the end of the question. 
Peter Brown 
: I think they will alert the Minister to what this is all about. The photographs are of a rather distinguished-looking gentleman and some gentlemen holding a bolt plucked from the track. 
Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Moana Mackey 
: How often is the safety of the line assessed? 
Hon HARRY DUYNHOVEN 
: The Land Transport Safety Authority advises me that track maintenance gangs patrol the section of track regularly as they do with other parts of the network. As I outlined last week the Land Transport Safety Authority became aware of the safety concerns and after discussion with the New Zealand Railways Corporation it is satisfied that the East Coast main trunk railway line is being managed satisfactorily by the corporation. The authority has raised safety concerns regarding loose bolts on the East Coast main trunk line with the New Zealand Railways Corporation which immediately arranged for its track maintenance contractors Transfield to undertake a special track inspection. I repeat that they found no evidence of safety problems. 
Peter Brown 
: In light of the fact that I contacted the Minister and advised him of this and I got a telephone call back from his office why did not somebody contact me again and I would have taken him or her out there to see a whole segment of a railway track with loose bolts? 
Hon HARRY DUYNHOVEN 
: I regret that that did not occur. It is precisely what I asked to happen. 
Peter Brown 
: If my assertions are correct will the Minister check again whether I am correct and if so will he consider giving instructions to reduce traffic or reduce speed or both in order that that line does not result in some sort of calamity? 
Hon HARRY DUYNHOVEN 
: I thank the member for that suggestion. I do not have the power to do that but the director of the Land Transport Safety Authority does. Should it be that following the inspection something of consequence has been missed then obviously the director will take the appropriate action. I tell the member that I regret that my suggestion that officials be in contact with him and he show them the exact point was not followed up. I am not sure whether they attempted to do that. I did give the officials the telephone numbers etc. for contact.