3. Earthquake Kaikōura—Transport InfrastructureEUGENIE SAGE (Green) to the Minister of TransportEarthquake Kaikōura—Transport Infrastructure3. EUGENIE SAGE (Green) to the Minister of Transport: What updates can he give on the transport sector's response to earthquake damage to State Highway 1 and the rail line between Seddon and Cheviot?Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Minister of Transport): I thank the member for her question and can I just also express my condolences to the people affected by Monday's quakes. It is widely reported that there has been significant damage to transport infrastructure in the Kaikōura region. In addition to buckling and crackling in the road and the rail infrastructure major landslides have taken out State Highway 1 and the main trunk line at multiple locations across the coast between Seddon and Cheviot. Alternative routes are being established and this is where the focus of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) and KiwiRail's efforts are directed right at the moment. Due to the sheer scale of the slips it is expected that State Highway 1 and the main trunk line between Seddon and Cheviot will remain out of action for months—probably several months—rather than weeks. The transport sector is responding in a very coordinated fashion. This does not just require a land transport response; options are also being explored as to how we can utilise shipping to ensure freight flows are restored as we head into the busy freight period. KiwiRail the NZTA and Maritime New Zealand in particular are working very closely together.Eugenie Sage: Are any alternative medium- to longer-term transport options between Picton and Christchurch being investigated in response to the earthquake damage?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Yes I can confirm they actively are. I think the important thing to note in terms of freight but also people flow is that State Highway 7 is now up and running. It is fit for purpose for both light and heavy vehicles so that does mean that we have got a connection and that is very important. I accept I think the premise of the member's question which is that we also need to make sure that we are looking at alternative options to ensure we have a strong resilience in the system at this time. I can confirm that that includes looking at a number of shipping options. The Ministry of Transport is coordinating this quite concerted effort amongst the transport agencies.Eugenie Sage: Do the shipping options being examined include an investigation of an additional ferry service and whether that could be established between a North Island port and Lyttelton to transport freight?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: In short yes it includes the coastal shipping options. I think the truth there is that a number of coastal shippers are continuing to work. Possibly there is a question of capacity around that but we are looking at that actively. There are international shipping options; there is of course KiwiRail's fleet; and there is also Bluebridge's fleet as well. As I say I think we need to take a coordinated approach that acts in New Zealand's overall interests without any worries or concerns about interest and the competition between these players.Eugenie Sage: Is the Government open to considering additional funding for KiwiRail to help the company investigate the feasibility of additional ferry services?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I think in short yes. I mean we need to look at our options. If there are options that require funding we will do that. I think in general terms if we make a comment across the transport issues that we are seeing as a result of the earthquakes the question is not one of cash flow or indeed funding generally. Through the variety of funds that KiwiRail has and that the Transport Agency has they are well fit to deal with what they need to in the short and possibly I think medium term as well. It is much more about coordinating practically on the ground and getting people in to do the work and to make things happen.Eugenie Sage: Is the Minister aware of any road alignments that could be developed as an alternative to the coastal section of State Highway 1 near Kaikōura?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: In the short term I think we are doing the best we can to allow access for communities. So that does mean State Highway 7 effectively up through Murchison to the north has been opened. That is heavy-vehicle enabled and is taking freight and passenger vehicles at this current time through to Hanmer—it is important to get access there. State Highway 7A is now open albeit with effectively a curfew in the evenings for safety issues. We are working as fast as we can to get people there right at the moment to do work on old State Highway 70 as it is called from Canterbury up through Culverden and into Kaikōura. The news there to the member I think is that it is a matter of days rather than weeks or months to get that vital connectivity for Kaikōura going. More broadly speaking can I say that State Highway 1 as I say is badly damaged. The emphasis there will be on fixing that but also improving it. If that involves some realignments to do that and to make it a more resilient stronger network we obviously want to look to do that.Eugenie Sage: Is he aware of and is any work being done on investigating alternative rail alignments to the coastal section of the South Island main trunk near Kaikōura?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: The position there is that if we look between Seddon and Cheviot there is obviously very bad damage to several bridges several slips and a number of really massive—mother Nature - made if you like—realignments. Rail is very close there to road and I think what we will be looking to do is form a very strong collaboration between KiwiRail and the Transport Agency alliance—a bit like we did in Canterbury—to make sure we are providing the best road and rail solutions there together.