The Kāpiti District wants the Greater Wellington Regional Council to commit funding support to enable the Capital Connection train service to be retained.
Mayor Ross Church says this is a main recommendation contained in the Council’s submission to the Greater Wellington Region’s Long Term Plan.
“Our submission recognises the two councils have a strong working relationship and it summarises the issues Kāpiti District would like Greater Wellington to act on, to help achieve our vision of a vibrant, diverse and thriving Kāpiti.
“Public transport is a major area of concern where Kāpiti is seeking GWRC to ‘front foot’ a number of issues.
“Council wants GWRC to commit funding support to maintain the Capital Connection, recognising it as the only commuter rail service for Ōtaki residents into Wellington.
“If it is withdrawn, people would have to drive through to Wellington or park at the Waikanae or Paraparaumu train stations, making existing congestion worse. Ōtaki would become the only major town in the region without a rail link connection to Wellington City.”
Mayor Church says Council wants GWRC to adopt an approach consistent with the Horizons Regional Council, and support and grow the service. It also wants to see better public transport connections in both directions for Ōtaki, which it says is “weakly” served.
“Council wants GWRC to improve park and ride facilities in Paraparaumu and Waikanae. We would rather have some of the money GWRC has allocated for integrated ticketing to be directed to supporting better transport services, more park and ride facilities and bus shelters,” he says.
In terms of regional and district planning, Kāpiti wants the two councils to commit to work together via a joint working party of staff to achieve harmony in their statutory planning, particularly in resource consents.
Kāpiti would like GWRC to have a regional office in Kāpiti, to save local residents the time and cost of going into Wellington for things like resource management matters.
The submission also asks GWRC to declare Canada Geese a pest in its Regional Pest Management Strategy. “We urgently need to develop methods of control of this unwelcome pest,” the submission says.
